Trail & Timberline, #1011 by Chris Case

climbing the ladder 20 • nature's needs 24 • To call or not to call 30

Trail & timberline The Colorado Mountain Club • Summer 2011 • Issue 1011 • www.cmc.org

A Mountain Education Learning from Accidents and Incidents in the Mountains

Trail & Timberline

Timeless

Colorado's Mountains are

By designating the CMC or the CMC Foundation in your will, your investment in them lives on. Join the 21st Century Circle today. Contact our Development Director at 303-996-2752 to learn more about planned giving. 2

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Photo: Glenn Randall Photography

Letter from the CEO Lessons Learned

n a snowy Saturday in April, I joined nearly 200 trip leaders and volunteers to attend the CMC’s Backcountry Incident Review Conference. The idea for the conference came to me almost a year ago via trip leader extraordinaire Ryan Ross. Ryan and I started meeting a year ago to discuss holding an annual “lessons learned” type conference, not only for the benefit of CMC leaders and members, but for anyone else interested in becoming a leader or member. Over that year, Ryan and his team of volunteers worked tirelessly to put together a professional and well organized day-long conference. The event featured speakers who discussed CMC trips that experienced a serious incident (sometimes the outcome was good and sometimes it wasn’t) as well as presentations from professionals in the field such as esteemed outdoor recreation leader Cathy Hansen Stamp and Chris Barnes from the High Mountain Institute in Leadville. During my tenure as CEO for the Colorado Mountain Club, we have unfortunately seen a high number of serious incidents. As we all know, the activities we love offer risk and uncertainty at times. It is my great hope that continuing education and learning from opportunities like the Backcountry Incident Review Conference will help to mitigate these risks and, when accidents do happen, ensure that the leaders and members on our trips are as prepared as they can be. I can’t thank Ryan and his committee enough for putting on such a dynamic and informational session. Thank you to all of our leaders who are the backbone of this organization and lead our members daily into the landscapes of Colorado and beyond. Our leaders provide the most tangible and memorable member experience that we offer.

Katie Blackett Chief Executive Officer Trail & Timberline

36 20 Climbing the Lesson Ladder: Learning from Incidents in the Mountains With skill comes risk. With risk comes reward. With accidents and incidents comes an education.

35 Lessons Learned The Top 10 Lessons from the inaugural CMC Statewide Backcountry Incident Review Conference. By Ryan Ross

By Darin Baker

24 Balancing Act: Learning to Become a Nature Lover and Nature Adventurer What does nature need? Nature needs half. By Emily Loose and Morgan Heim Photography by Morgan Heim

30 Frozen by Thought: The Deliberation to Make the Call

36 Deadly Mountain: Mapping Accidents on Longs Peak Where, when, how? The answers behind the deaths on Longs Peak. By Woody Smith

36 Growing Up in the Club: The Snowmass Outing of 1945 By Nancy Perkins Nones

With frigid temperatures outside, the real freeze was inside the mind of a frostbitten adventurer. What would she do? By March Thompson

Summer 2011 Trail & Timberline â&#x20AC;˘ Issue 1011 â&#x20AC;˘ www.cmc.org

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Departments 30

01 Letter from the CEO 06 On the Outside 08 Mission Accomplishments

Learn the latest from the conservation and education departments, as well as the Mountaineering Museum.

14 The Clinic

Don't let a little friction ruin your epic. Learn from the English Patients. By Brenda Porter

16 Pathfinder

Summer is for scrambling. Scramble on. By Deb Kirk

42 CMC Adventure Travel

Want to get away? Wander the world with your friends at the CMC on these classic trips.

44 End of the Trail

Remembering those who have passed.

On the Cover

Looking for a way to scramble up Shirttail Peak. Chris Case

Trail & Timberline

WildyX Climbing Buyer Lisa Aquino, Eldorado Canyon

Trail & timberline

The official publication of the Colorado Mountain Club since 1918.

Editor, Director of Photography & Design Chris Case

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www.cmc.org The Colorado Mountain Club is organized to ▶ unite the energy, interest, and knowledge of the students, explorers, and lovers of the mountains of Colorado; ▶ collect and disseminate information regarding the Rocky Mountains on behalf of science, literature, art, and recreation; ▶ stimulate public interest in our mountain areas; ▶ encourage the preservation of forests, flowers, fauna, and natural scenery; and ▶ render readily accessible the alpine attractions of this region. © 2011 Colorado Mountain Club

Trail & Timberline (ISSN 0041-0756) is published quarterly by the Colorado Mountain Club located at 710 10th Street, Suite 200, Golden, Colorado 80401. Periodicals postage paid at Golden, Colorado, and additional offices. Subscriptions are $20 per year; single copies are $5. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Trail & Timberline, 710 10th Street, Suite 200, Golden, Colorado 80401. Advertisements in Trail & Timberline do not constitute an endorsement by the Colorado Mountain Club.

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For Members member benefits → Join us on over 3,000 annual trips, hikes, and activities in the state’s premiere mountain-adventure organization. → Expand your knowledge and learn new skills with our schools, seminars, and events. → Support our award-winning Youth Education Program for mountain leadership. → Protect Colorado’s wild lands and backcountry recreation experiences. → Enjoy exclusive discounts to the American Mountaineering Museum. → Travel the world with your friends through CMC Adventure Travel. → Receive a 20% discount on all CMC Press purchases and start your next adventure today. → It pays to be a member. Enjoy discounts of up to 25% from retailers and corporate partners. See www.cmc.org/benefits for details. → Receive the Shared Member Rates of other regional mountaineering clubs and a host of their perks and benefits, including lodging. Visit cmc.org/Alpine6 for details.

opportunities to get more involved Charitable Donations

Join our select donors who give back to the club every month by using electronic funds transfer (EFT). It is easy and convenient, you can discontinue anytime, and you’ll provide support for critical programs. Sign up at www.cmc.org/support. By naming the Colorado Mountain Club in your will, you will be able to count yourself among the proud members of the 21st Century Circle. Read more at www.cmc.org/legacy. Please consult your financial advisor about gift language. By donating $1,000 or more to the Annual Campaign, you'll enjoy the exclusive benefits of the Summit Society, including hikes to places that the CMC's conservation department is working to protect, an annual appreciation event, and a complimentary copy of a new CMC Press book. If you have any questions about donations, please contact Sarah Gorecki, Development Director, at 303.996.2752 or sarahgorecki@cmc.org.

Volunteer Efforts

If you want to share your time and expertise, give back to the club by volunteering on a variety of projects, from trail restoration to stuffing envelopes. Visit www.cmc.org/volunteer for a complete listing.

Our Membership Services team can answer general questions every weekday at 303.279.3080, or by email at cmcoffice@cmc.org.

SCFD

The Colorado Mountain Club thanks the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District and its citizens for their continuing support. www.scfd.org

The Colorado Mountain Club is a proud member of Community Shares of Colorado.

It PAYS to be a member!

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▶ 50% off admission at the American Mountaineering Museum

▶ 25% off titles from The Mountaineers Books

▶ 10% at Neptune Mountaineering, Boulder

▶ 10% at Bent Gate Mountaineering, Golden

▶ 10% at Wilderness Exchange Unlimited, Denver

Not a member?

▶ 10% at Mountain Chalet, Colorado Springs ▶ 10% at The Trailhead, Buena Vista

▶ 10% at Rock'n and Jam'n, Thornton Visit www.cmc.org/join Trail & Timberline

On the Outside A placid sunrise belies the fact that this mountain has proven deadly. Since 1884, Longs Peak has claimed 62 lives. To see how and where, turn to page 36. Chris Case 6 Trail & Timberline

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Mission Accomplishments Perfectly Aligned

Our Corporate Partnership with REI By Sarah Gorecki, Development Director

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We can’t thank REI enough for being such a great partner of the Colorado Mountain Club. In addition to hosting the Banff Mountain Film Festival, REI invites the CMC to lead climbing classes on their climbing pinnacle in the Denver flagship store, they advertise CMC events for us in their newsletters and in their stores, they help to get the word out about the CMC through outreach events, and they support our Youth Education Program with a generous grant each year. They also direct enthusiastic recreationists to the CMC through the Outdoor Recreation Information Center (ORIC), which the CMC helped to create more than 10 years ago. REI has helped the CMC with many other events, such as Radical Reels, the Backcountry Bash, and Hike For Youth. We’re even exploring the idea of doing Youth Education Classes at the Denver flagship store, as a “satellite classroom.” The ways in which the CMC and REI work together could fill pages.

REI does more than sell outdoor equipment. “One of the things that makes us unique is that not only are we an outdoor retailer, but we also have a huge focus on working with youth and environmental stewardship,” says Pat Kennedy, Outreach Specialist at REI. You don’t have to look far to see how REI walks the talk. Through their national grant program, REI gave some $2.4 million to over 300 partners in 2010. Through REI’s “Peak Program,” REI staff travel to schools and scout groups to teach the kids Leave No Trace outdoor ethics. They also have a free “Family Adventure Program” which engages kids in the outdoors through a 28-page kidfriendly outdoor journal, and offers parents information on places to take their kids hiking or biking. Help us to thank REI with your support. Next time you’re in an REI store and you see someone in the green vest, tell them “thank you” from all of us at the CMC. △ Chris Case

Helping people enjoy the great outdoors to the fullest. Committed to community service and volunteerism. Educating future generations about environmental stewardship. Outdoor education classes and outings. A passion for the outdoors. Sounds like the Colorado Mountain Club, doesn’t it? Actually, these phrases are also at the core of the business philosophy of our partner, REI. Not surprisingly, the similarities in values of the CMC and REI are what make us such great partners. Recreational Equipment, Inc. got its start in 1938 in the Pacific Northwest. Like the CMC, REI offers programs that introduce youth to the outdoors, stewardship volunteer projects that give back to the local environment, adventure travel trips, and affordable classes to teach people how to responsibly use and enjoy the outdoors. REI offers about 300 clinics and programs per year, most of which are free—and that’s just in the Denver store! “A big part of what we’re trying to do at REI is get people involved in the outdoors, in an active sense, and in the stewardship sense,” says Gerhard Holtzendorf, District Outreach and Events Administrator for REI. “In that way I think our missions align completely. The CMC has been a natural fit from day one.” The Banff Mountain Film Festival is one of the finest examples of how our long partnership—which reaches back at least 15 years—comes to life. REI first hosted the festival over a decade ago in the newly-remodeled auditorium of the American Mountaineering Center in Golden. The event quickly outgrew the 350-seat capacity venue and, in 2011, filled over 3,000 seats over two nights at the Paramount Theatre in Denver. Not only does REI generously donate the proceeds of the event to support the CMC, they also turn it into a fantastic outreach opportunity for the club: each night we get to talk to the packed audience of over 1,500 people about becoming a member of the CMC.

▲In 2011, REI hosted the Banff Mountain Film Festival and filled over 3,000 seats over two nights at the Paramount Theatre in Denver. REI generously donates the proceeds of the event to support the CMC and also turns the evening into a fantastic outreach opportunity for the club: each night we get to speak to the packed audience of over 1,500 people about becoming a member of the CMC.

Silver and Gold

CMC Press Receives Accolades (and wants you to help them earn more) By Chris Case

Awards The Publishers Association of the West recently announced that CMC Press was awarded gold and silver medals for the design of two of their guidebooks published last year. Comanche Peak Wilderness Area: Hiking and Snowshoe Routes by Joe and Frédérique Grim received the association’s top honor: “This book’s format, materials, design, layout, and typography hit the mark,” read the committee’s citation. “The binding and trim specifically impress. This book could easily survive a week in a backpack.” Colorado Wildflowers: Montane Zone by THE COLORADO MOUNTAIN CLUB GUIDEBOOK

COLORADO

Wildflowers MONTANE ZONE

ANN KURZ CHAMBERS

THE COLORADO MOUNTAIN CLUB PACK GUIDE

Comanche Peak WILDERNESS AREA

HIKING &

SNOWSHOEING

GUIDE

Joe and Frédérique Grim

redesigned. “The Colorado Trail Foundation did a great job of revising this edition,” said Alan Stark, CMC Press publisher. “And Annie Douden, who has designed a number of beautiful books for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, gave the eighth edition a new, cleaner look.” The Best Durango Hikes comes on the heels of other titles in the series. “We have had a great deal of success with our pack guide series of books, written and edited by CMC groups,” Stark said. “The Durango book by the San Juan Group, with Jeff Eisele, is the first pack guide from a relatively small CMC group.” CMC Press continues to expand the series, and is now working on guides for Grand Junction, the Vail Valley, and Telluride.

CMC Press Wants You CMC Press is looking for authors for its series of wilderness area pack guides. Comanche Peak Wilderness Area is a good model for what they hope to accomplish with future titles. Pack guide authors are responsible for writing each of the hike descriptions and providing photos. Any proposal should include a sample table of contents which lists the proposed hikes, a sample hike or two, and some sample photos. It is recommended that authors include their resumé with proposals. THE COLORADO MOUNTAIN CLUB GUIDEBOOK

THE

COLORADO TRAIL EIGHTH EDITION

THE OFFICIAL GUIDEBOOK OF The Colorado Trail Foundation

COLORADO

Ann Kurz Chambers was awarded a silver medal. “Great book, good job with the interiors,” read the citation. “We were impressed with the binding and sturdy materials. We also thought you did a great job with the cover image.” Both books are available for purchase on the CMC website (www.cmc.org), and at local bookstores and outdoor retailers. New Titles CMC Press has just published The Colorado Trail in its eighth edition, as well as The Best Durango Hikes. The eighth edition of The Colorado Trail has been thoroughly revised and completely

MOUNTAIN CLUB PACK GUIDE

THE BEST

Durango

HIKES

The San Juan Group, CMC, with Jeff Eisele

CMC Press is also in search of project managers for its pack guides. The manager would be responsible for organizing groups to hike, photograph, and create maps for hikes within an hour of their towns. Once organized, the project manager would be in charge of taking in volunteers to write trail descriptions, photograph scenery, and organize the work for CMC Press. The press would like to publish pack guides for the Pueblo, Aspen, Summit County, Steamboat, Estes Park, and Buena Vista/Salida areas. For more information on becoming a CMC author or project manager, please contact Alan Stark at bear@cmc.org. △ Trail & Timberline

Our Collective Impact The Benefits of Stewardship By Lisa Cashel, Land Partnerships Manager

Many of us have probably heard about the benefits of stewardship and giving back to the places we love. It’s true, stewardship is extremely beneficial to our recreation community and has a significant impact on our public lands. And many of us have probably heard about the increasing numbers of people who are enjoying the multitude of outdoor recreation opportunities that Colorado has to offer. This is also true: Participation by Coloradans in outdoor recreation is expanding exponentially, as the state’s population grows and more people take advantage of Colorado’s unique and magnificent recreation resources. If you couple those trends with environmental stressors such as climate change and a decrease in federal and state land management agency budgets and staffing,

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it might seem that we’re on the verge of a natural resource tragedy. But there is hope! The Colorado Mountain Club and its partners set out to better understand the current impact of volunteer stewards on public lands. This effort was made both to celebrate our accomplishments and to help guide the stewardship movement for the future. In 2010, volunteers committed to thousands of stewardship activities in Colorado, contributing over 1.3 million volunteer hours valued at nearly $28 million in in-kind labor. The Collective Impact Report was unveiled at the State Capitol on April 21, 2011, a day officially proclaimed by Governor Hickenlooper as Colorado Outdoor Stewardship Day. For more information on this report, contact the CMC conservation department. And remember, you can always join

other Coloradans that care deeply about our outdoor heritage. Pick up a shovel and join us at www.cmc.org/stewardship. In the meantime, here are some engaging statistics about the CMC’s stewardship accomplishments. ▶ In 2010, CMC members volunteered 300 work days totaling 3,196 hours, equivalent to $68,618 in labor. ▶ If each CMC member (approximately 7,000) volunteered for a single day in 2011, CMC would provide 56,000 hours of service on our public lands, valued at $1.2 million dollars. ▶ The CMC state office, along with the Denver and Pikes Peak groups alone, have more than 45 stewardship projects scheduled for 2011. ▶ The Shining Mountains group has listed 88 days on their 2011 activity calendar for

volunteering with Rocky Mountain National Park and Rocky Mountain Nature Association. ▶ The CMC fly fishing section not only teaches proper catch and release technique, but also how to tread lightly and reduce transfer of invasive species. Fly fishing school director Jorge Dominguez reports that, “the CMC is vital in the stewardship of our beloved mountains and waters,” and section members are actively involved in trail and stream cleanups and improvements. He continues, “Each fall, we assist

the Division of Wildlife with their electroshocking surveys of local streams such as the South Platte River. These surveys are critical, especially in the aftermath of the 2002 Hayman Fire, to properly manage and protect Colorado fisheries.” ▶ CMC’s Youth Education Program is designing stewardship projects for school groups and summer courses. ▶ The Basic Mountaineering School curriculum now includes a stewardship component in each student’s graduation requirements. Deb Kirk, BMS director, believes

that “being active in stewardship shows we are a socially responsible, mature, and caring organization. We use the land, give back, and have a strong desire to make a difference. Conservation is vital to mountaineering, hiking, and climbing. Preserving the pristine condition of our land is necessary to allow us the opportunity to get outside, connect with the great outdoors, and refill our cup so we can start anew.” ▶ What can you, your school, section, or group do to increase our positive impact? △

Reviewed:

La Sportiva Pamir By Doug Skiba

I’ve been buying La Sportiva footwear for years—for trail running, climbing, and the like. My wife’s affinity for the popular Mythos climbing shoe bordered on fanaticism for a decade, and it finally resulted in my getting a pair as well. I haven’t been disappointed. Always happy with the Italian-made quality of their finer products (a survey of my closet reveals that La Sportiva running and approach shoes are actually made in China and Vietnam—par for the course, apparently), it seemed natural to try the Pamir. Anticipating their arrival, I read the description (lasportiva.com) and knew they would be burly enough to backpack with a multi-day load. With an aggressive tread and an understated traditional look—especially in comparison to other brightly-colored, “techy” offerings from Sportiva—the Pamir was immediately appealing. My initial inspection showed a generous one- to two-inch rubber rand around nearly the entire boot, as well as a richbrown waxed leather, complemented by 18 eyelet points per boot. The boot sports five different types of eyelets, the most impressive (and critical) of which is at the ankleflex point. Attached to a hard-plastic base with a durable-looking hinge, these have the underrated job of retaining the desired amount of tension in all the eyelets below. The slightest tension locks the laces right where you want them, and they unlock quickly too. It’s easy-in, easy-out. The Pamir had amazing right-out-ofthe-box comfort; lucky for me, since I was committing to this one pair. I didn’t use any

▲ Women's ◀ Men's

aftermarket footbeds (e.g. Superfeet) because the stock insole seemed adequate. After a few short-and-fast break-in hikes (one of which gave me a whopper of a blister, the likes of which I hadn’t seen for years), the boots were ready for an April backpacking trip to Fern Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. My 50-pound pack (complete with heavy snowshoes) paired with the Pamir boots like a dream. There wasn’t a hint of a blister, and my feet stayed completely dry during the never-ending rain and snow of the North Cascadesweather weekend. The substantial rand provided extra traction for the snowshoe straps, and though the temperatures were only around 30, all my toes stayed warm. Additionally, when I scrambled on some trailside boulders, the

boots performed well enough to realize they would be alpine stars on easy 5.6 mountain climbs this summer. Tip: the Pamir is fine footwear in the advanced-and-burly category. They are tough and don’t have much flex, so don’t get these unless you want a lifetime boot that excels at handling heavy loads both on- and off-trail. If you do get a pair, like any big boot, make sure you break ‘em in before your first long trip. △ A graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School’s mountain instructor course, Doug is the former assistant manager of the Yosemite Mountaineering School and has previously worked for the American Mountain Guides Association, the American Alpine Club, and the Colorado Mountain Club. Trail & Timberline

Around Colorado

Our groups across the State

Get Involved We'd love to invite members from all of the CMC groups to join us for these exciting upcoming events: Our technical climbing school will be held on June 25 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with equipment provided. There is a special price of $90 per person with a low teacher/student ratio. Snow school will be held on June 26 and includes a full day of instruction, with equipment provided. The fee is also $90 per person. For either school, call Ron Rash, professional guide, at (970) 925-6618. From August 19 to 21, we will host “Exploring Wilderness with Body, Mind, Spirit.” What did Thoreau mean when he wrote, “In wildness is the preservation of the world?” With three days at the Margy Hut near Aspen, CMC members will reflect on humanity's relationship to nature, and the meaning of wilderness in history and philosophy. This workshop includes hiking, communing at the hut, and gazing at the stars. Food and lodging are provided. The cost is $215 per person. For more information, call author, historian, and CMC member Paul Andersen at (970) 927-4018 or andersen@rof.net.

▲ Aspen chairperson Carol Kurt enjoys American Lake with Willow. 12

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BOULDER Boulder group members are known for friendly, welcoming attitudes, intolerance for bureaucracy, and appreciation for safe, fun, outdoor recreation in all seasons. The Boulder group came into existence in 1920, eight years after the Colorado Mountain Club was founded, when a predecessor hiking club in Boulder, called the Front Rangers, affiliated with the CMC. Today, the group’s 1,100plus members enjoy a variety of climbing, hiking, backpacking, and skiing activities. Boulder group outings range from casual afterwork hikes and leisurely flower photography walks to high mountain summit climbs. With our proximity to the Flatirons and Eldorado Canyon, it’s no surprise that rock climbing is a favorite activity. The Boulder group offers dozens of rock climbs each year, from easy topropes to challenging ascents. We help our members enjoy the outdoors safely with highly regarded trainings such as Basic Rock School, for beginning climbers; Hiking and Survival Essentials, with foundational skills for Colorado mountains; Boulder Mountaineering School, a series of courses ranging from trip planning, survival, and navigation, to rock and snow climbing skills; and also courses in cross-country, telemark, and alpine touring/backcountry skiing.

at 10,405 feet in the Brainard Lake area, providing easy access to the eastern part of Indian Peaks Wilderness area. It sleeps up to 12 people. The smaller Arestua Hut is located at 11,000 feet on Guinn Mountain, and accessed from the Jenny Creek Trail near Eldora Mountain Resort.

Get Involved Boulder group social gatherings include parties for trip leaders and volunteers, monthly programs on varied topics, and our annual dinner, held each November. Recent dinner speakers have included Howard Snyder, leader of the controversial 1967 Colorado McKinley expedition and group member Val Hovland, an accomplished climber of high summits in Alaska and the Himalayas. Want to get away? The Boulder group owns two cabins, located on Arapaho/Roosevelt National Forest land. The Brainard Cabin, built in 1928, is located

Learn More Attend an open house for new and prospective members, at our clubroom, 633 South Broadway, Unit N, at Table Mesa Shopping Center in Boulder, behind Neptune Mountaineering. Upcoming open house dates are July 20, September 21, and November 16, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Visit the Boulder clubroom, staffed from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday, or call us at (303) 554-7688. You can even volunteer to help with our upcoming clubroom move! Visit the Boulder group online at www. cmcboulder.org and check out our schedule of upcoming trips, schools, and activities, or at www.cmc.org/groups/groups_boulder.aspx.

Jim Groh

ASPEN Founded by Jack dePagter in 1952, the Aspen group's gavel was turned over to Carol Kurt in 1998. The Aspen group, with 200 members, continues to grow in the Roaring Fork Valley. We are proud that the new CMC logo shows Aspen's Maroon Bells. We have a winter schedule with hut trips, moonlight Nordic potlucks, and slide shows of member's adventure travels, as well as an annual banquet. Summer events include schools in snow, technical climbing, and basic mountaineering; leadership and mountain-oriented first-aid; trips to the Utah desert, backpacking trips, day hikes, fourteener and thirteener climbs, and a summer picnic. For more information contact Carol Kurt at kurtskarma@aol. com and view our Facebook page, “The Official Aspen Chapter of the Colorado Mountain Club.”

DENVER The Denver group has over 3,700 outdoor-loving, fun-seeking members living in the metro Denver area. Our diverse membership ranges from young adults (18+), to the Trailblazers (21 to 40), to our very active Over the Hill Gang (50+). Want to learn a new skill? During the summer of 2011, we will be offering the following courses: Basic Rock Climbing School beginning June 6; Backpacking School beginning July 27; Alpine Scrambling School beginning June 9; Rock Seconding School beginning July 5; and Wilderness First Aid beginning August 1. Already have the skills and now you want to play? Check out the online activity schedule and sign up for trips. We have something going on just about every day of the week,

from leisure wildflower hikes to technical climbs over 14,000 feet, fly fishing adventures, rock climbing in Eldorado Canyon, plus so much more. Check out the official Denver group website for more information and updates at www.hikingdenver.net. Also, sign up for our monthly electronic newsletter, Mile High Mountaineer, which includes all of our fun “Out and About Town” activities including group dinners, movies, happy hours, and more.

lead climbing, avalanche awareness, snowshoeing, mountainoriented first aid, beacon search practice, and winter wilderness survival. Get Involved The Pikes Peak group is actively recruiting instructors for our 2012 basic mountaineering school series. Please contact Collin Powers, powerscollin@yahoo.com, if you are interested in giving back. Interested in leading trips? Our next “Safety in Leadership” training will be held in the fall. If you are interested in becoming a trip leader for the Pikes Peak group, please contact Bill Houghton at bill@anapraxis.com. Learn More Attend the Pikes Peak group monthly meeting the third Tuesday of each month (except in May, November, and December) at 7:30 p.m. at the All Souls Unitarian Church. Or, connect with members of the group by joining us on one of our many trips or classes.

Get Involved The Denver group also has many fantastic volunteer opportunities open to our members. Currently, we are looking for excited members to join the Denver Council and help us elevate the Denver group to rockstar status! This is a member-elected position that requires some time commitment and dedication but is a very rewarding opportunity to give back to the club you love. The election is in October. For more information, contact council chair Bob Reimann at robertreimann669@msn.com. We are always looking for new trip leaders to lead A, B, C, and D level hikes throughout the year; we offer trip leader training to help you get started. Our next trip leader course is June 27. Prefer to get your hands dirty? We need trail crew volunteers and trail crew leaders to assist with trail maintenance near and far. Opportunities include working with the U.S. Forest Service and the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative Peak Stewards Program, among others. Learn More Keep an eye on www.hikingdenver.net and inside Mile High Mountaineer for upcoming special events and monthly new-member hikes and orientations. We are adding new events all the time. Have a question today? Contact Denver group council member Sharon Kratze at skratze@gmail.com. We invite you to join the Denver group and look forward to playing with you this summer!

PIKES PEAK The Pikes Peak group of the Colorado Mountain Club is based out of Colorado Springs. We are a diverse group of some 600 members offering a variety of activities and challenge levels including hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, biking, ice climbing, skiing, and snowshoeing. We offer many courses, including basic mountaineering, which entails wilderness fundamentals, land navigation, rock climbing, alpine snow mountaineering, ice climbing, and backpacking. Our high altitude mountaineering course includes glacier travel. Other courses include backcountry skiing, anchor building,

WESTERN SLOPE The Western Slope group is 100 members strong, from all professions and walks of life, each with a keen interest in hiking, backpacking, cross-country skiing, cycling, geology, wildflowers, stewardship, and conservation. The group has adopted Flume Canyon in the McGinnis Wilderness Study Area for trail monitoring and restoration. Our members contribute stories and photos to our monthly newsletter, Canyon Call. The chapter is currently compiling a Western Slope hiking guide to be published by CMC Press. Learn More If you are interested in joining our Grand Junction meetings, they are held on the first Wednesday of every month at the American Bank Building at Sixth and Rood in Downtown Grand Junction. For more information, contact membership chairperson Lon Carpenter at (970) 250-1601 or lcarpenter@anbbank.com.

Trail & Timberline

The Clinic Blisters in the Sun Learning from the English Patients By Brenda Porter, CMC Director of Education

Blisters weren't mentioned much during my recent Wilderness First Responder training. The focus of the 24-hour recertification course was assessing and treating serious threats to life in the backcountry. Yet, blisters can certainly be serious threats to the enjoyment of a hiking tripâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and sometimes much worseâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as anyone who has experienced these debilitating friction burns on their feet can verify. 14

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I've had a few occasions throughout the years to help others with blister care. Most memorable was the time I was backpacking in the Grand Canyon and became acquainted with the “English Patients." They were a couple of Brits who had joined another couple from Vermont on an overnight hike to the bottom of the big ditch. Their plan was to hike down the Bright Angel Trail, have dinner and spend the night in a cabin at Phantom Ranch, then ascend to the canyon rim the next day. My backpacking friends and I had decided to splurge for a restaurant meal at the bottom of the canyon (how often can you do that on a 5-day backpack trip?). We shared stories over steak and potatoes with the two middle-aged couples at our table. They were long-time friends and had traveled together annually. While driving across Arizona, the Vermonters said they had always wanted to hike the Grand Canyon, so they all decided to do it on the spur of the moment. Needless to say, it was beyond their expectations, since they weren't hikers. The Brits were in great spirits, while the other two were more subdued. With full bellies, we all bid each other well. Early the next morning we packed up and started hiking well before dawn to beat the heat. Unexpectedly we came across the British couple from the night before. When asked where their friends were, they said that the woman had a severe case of dehydration and the two were being evacuated out of the canyon in a helicopter—pure irony, since this adventure had been the idea of the couple who were airlifted. Now the Brits were left to walk the 4,000 vertical feet up and out by themselves. They had one small daypack between them, were both wearing sneakers, and had a jolly sense of humor. For the first hour or so we played “rabbit and hare” as they limped ahead without any pack weight, but then slumped against the side of the trail; we backpackers maintained a slow and steady pace upward. At some point their limps became more pronounced and I offered some first aid, which they readily accepted. Not surprisingly, they had blisters like I have never seen before or since. While we stopped halfway to the rim to camp overnight at the Indian Head camp site, the “English Patients” merely stopped to see our setup and have a snack before continuing 2,000 more feet upward. Yet, the next morning, when we reached the

rim, they were the first people we saw, happily wearing their “I Hiked the Grand Canyon” t-shirts. Some folks might not have reveled in this painful adventure. And, certainly, the Brits could have made their excursion more enjoyable with a few simple tricks. Let’s break it down and learn from the lessons of the “English Patients”: ▶ Whatever the adventure, whatever it’s scope, have a great attitude! A sense of humor makes almost anything endurable. ▶ Prevention is the key for blisters. Make sure you hike with your combination of socks and shoes or boots on short hikes, before your big trip. There are also some friction reducing products on the market. For example, Band-Aid has a friction block stick that is worth trying if you are prone to rubbing. Remember that stopping the blister from forming leads to much happier feet than treating a painful blister after one has already developed. ▶Stop the burn. At the first sensation of a "hot spot" take a look at your feet. You will probably see a red spot that feels hot. That's because a blister is actually a friction burn caused by the rubbing of something against your skin—it could be the skin of another toe, a sock, or your boot. You need to stop the friction—it won't go away on its own. ◆ Common friction reducers are duct tape and moleskin. You need something very sticky that adheres perfectly to your skin, to prevent blisters caused by your first aid attempts. Try tincture of benzoin compound with your "friction reducer." This orange colored liquid increases tape/moleskin adhesion. ◆ Cut an oval-shaped piece of tape or moleskin that is slightly bigger than your red spot. By trimming the corners off, you will prevent them from peeling up later. Since first-aid supplies are usually at a premium in the backcountry, this is a good way to make your treatment last longer. ◆ Make it stick by painting tincture of benzoin compound around your hot spot, just inside the perimeter of your friction reducer; then stick on the tape or moleskin. ▶ Bummer! You have a blister. ◆ To pop or not to pop? Back to my first-aid training, the best method is to use a sterile needle and drain the fluid. Prevent infection by using a topical antibiotic ointment like Neosporin. ◆ Cover it and prevent further damage. There are a number of products on the market. Personally I like "Second Skin" which is a gel-filled product for burns. Peel off the outer layers and place the blue gel carefully on your wound. Then cover with your choice of duct tape, moleskin, or first-aid tape. Just make sure there are no wrinkles and that it is well stuck. ◆ By the way, Band-aids are not recommended for blisters. These tips are dedicated to the "English Patients," who, by the way, hosted one of my friends (from that backpack trip) when she was traveling in England. Trail & Timberline

Pathfinder

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Scrambling on high

Father Dyer, Navajo McHenry's, and Trinity Traverse Deb Kirk

By Deb Kirk

My mission? To select three scrambling routes of varied difficulty and varied location across the state from amongst the myriad options. My response? It sounded appetizing. So, chocolate chips at the ready, dog at my feet, and keyboard as my gateway, I set forth. Only to realize that I may have bitten off more than I could chew. There are hundreds and hundreds of routes to choose from. I decided the best way to narrow the vast number of Colorado scrambling options available would be to poll my friends—people like John Raich and Dave Goldwater—who are also fellow CMC instructors and leaders whose experience I worship. At least one of the chosen routes should speak to your soul. 16

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And for those of you who are scratching your head and asking, “what is this scrambling business and what’s the big deal?” Well, the easiest answer is that scrambling is simply a whole lot of fun, with the rock presenting itself as a puzzle you must unfold. It is more interesting than trail hiking and has less “pucker-factor” than roped alpine climbing. You can make most routes more or less difficult depending on how you’re feeling that day. Technically, alpine scrambles are off-trail trips, often on snow or rock, with a nontechnical summit as a destination. The peak is usually reached without the aid of technical climbing gear and without traveling on extremely steep rock or snow slopes. It bridges the gap between the realms of off-trail hiking and technical climbing. The terrain is typically lower-angle rock, traveling through talus and scree, crossing streams, bushwhacking, and climbing snow-covered slopes which are sometimes exposed. Ropes and minimal protection gear is advised on the most difficult scrambles. But, much of the enjoyment of scrambling is derived from the freedom from technical gear. As a scrambling and mountaineering instructor, it is my duty to deliver the proverbial safety talk before we do the fun stuff. Keep in mind ▶

▶ Route conditions change continuously: month-to-month, dayto-day, hour-to-hour. Resources are written at a specific moment in time. Nature is dynamic. ▶ Take proper equipment. Helmets can always be left in the pack for training weight if you don’t need them. The same is true for trekking poles and ice axes. Stiff-soled boots prevent foot fatigue and allow for better footing and edging. ▶ Start early. Listen to your senses regarding weather. Learn the truth about lightning safety. ▶ Going up is much easier than going down. ▶ Traveling as a group in loose rock or scree should be done in a horizontal line or butt-to-nose to prevent anyone from being hit with rockfall. ▶ Scrambling up snow slopes requires knowledge of ice axe use. Pick your scrambling dates according to which mountaineering toys you want to employ. ▶ Climbing has inherent risks. Evaluate your personal comfort level. ▶ Don’t be a lemming or sheep. Use your common sense. If something doesn’t seem right, kindly and politely speak up. ▶ Educate yourself. Consult www.cmc.org/schools to gain or update your skill level as needed.

Father Dyer Peak Description Father Dyer is a sub-peak of Crystal Peak (13,852 feet). The east ridge of Father Dyer is short (less than 1,000 feet), fun, and serves as a great introduction to scrambling. It has a little bit of exposure, a little bit of scrambling, and a little bit of loose rock. Trailhead Start at Spruce Creek from Aqueduct Road Intersection (Francie’s Cabin). This trailhead sees many a hiker, especially on weekends. Carpooling is a good thing. From Breckenridge, take Highway 9 south. At the intersection of Main Street and South Park Avenue, note your mileage. Proceed south on Highway 9 for 2.3 miles. Turn right onto Spruce Creek Road. Follow Spruce Creek Road through the Crown subdivision, bearing left at major intersections. Stay on Spruce Creek Road for approximately 1.25 miles. Park at the trailhead parking area marked with U.S. Forest Service signs. You can drive beyond the trailhead and branch left to the Aqueduct Road intersection about 1 mile further to a closed gate. The aqueduct is literally at the base of Mt. Helen's east slopes. Route ◆ Follow the access road for Francie’s Cabin. ◆ From the aqueduct gate go left on Wheeler Trail for 0.5 miles. ◆ You will meet Crystal Lakes 4WD road and follow this 0.9 miles to a sharp left turn. ◆ Then follow a mining road southwest towards the base of the Father Dyer Peak's northeast ridge. ◆ Ascend grassy slopes to the east ridge of Father Dyer. The route never exceeds class 3 as you work your way to the small summit block. ◆ The descent route goes over Crystal Peak to a saddle between Crystal Peak and Peak 10 (Breckenridge Ski Area). ◆ Drop down to the 4WD trail near Upper Crystal Lake. ◆ At the lower lake, return on your ascent route.

OUT YOU GO Mileage 7.5 miles, round-trip Trail type Loop Estimated trip time 5 hours Elevation gain 2,877 feet Highest elevation 13,852 feet Season Late May to October Difficulty Easy (Class 2 to 3) Post-scramble fun Breckenridge Brewery Mountain range Tenmile Range Did you know? The peak is named for John Lewis Dyer, a methodist minister from Minnesota. As a young man, he fought in the Black Hawk Wars and worked as a lead miner in Wisconsin. He was "called by God" in middle age to preach, and began his career in Minnesota. Originally coming to Colorado in 1861 to see Pikes Peak, he decided to stay and preach to the settlers and miners of the region.

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Navajo Peak Courtesy of 14ers.com (5); previous page (2)

Description Navajo Peak is described as one of the most impressive peaks in the Indian Peaks Wilderness area, often considered one of the prettiest areas in Colorado. Trailhead Start at the Long Lake trailhead at Brainard Lake. From the north, follow Colorado 72, the Peak to Peak Highway, south for 10.2 miles from the junction with highway 7 to Brainard Lake Road. From the south, go north 12 miles from Colorado 72 in Nederland to the town of Ward; the Brainard Lake Road is just north of here. Turn west on Brainard Lake Road and go five miles on paved road to Brainard Lake. Follow the Long Lake Trailhead signs another .5 mile to a large parking area. There is a $9.00 fee to enter this recreation area during summer operating season (typically mid/late-June through late September). Route ◆ The approach from the Long Lake trailhead to Lake Isabelle is simple and the turnoff for the Isabelle Glacier trail is well marked. ◆ Follow this trail around the lake and through often muddy sections to a small lake above 11,000. ◆ The real approach to Navajo begins here up the Airplane Gully. ◆ Gain the summit via the chimney to the summit.

OUT YOU GO Mileage 9.6 miles, round-trip Trail type Out-and-back Estimated trip time 6.5 to 8 hours Elevation gain 2,868 feet Highest elevation 13,409 feet Season Late June to October Difficulty Easy (Class 2 to 3) Post-scramble fun Millsite Inn, Ward (go meet the ghost in the doorway) Mountain range Indian Peaks Did you know? Airplane Gully, your ascent route on Navajo Peak, is named for an aircraft crash that took place on January 21, 1948. The aircraft had left Stapleton Airport and was en route to Grand Junction from Denver. The likely cause of the crash was a severe downdraft in bad weather. Following the crash, an immediate search

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Trinity traverse

of the area was postponed by bad weather. The winter of 1948 was harsh, preventing the Ski Patrol and the Rocky Mountain Rescue Unit from locating the plane on their initial three attempts due in large part to deep snow fall. At the time there was a $1,000 reward for any information leading to the crash site. On May 24, 1948, four months after the C-47 had been confirmed missing, the crash site was located by an air search of the area. The Boulder Daily Camera reported that the aircraft had hit a cliff, exploded, rebounded, and slid down the mountain in a ball of fire leaving wreckage up and down the gully. The bodies of the three on board were eventually removed from the airplane debris. Most of the wreckage is spread up high in "airplane gully" on Niwot Ridge at 12,900ft. Some of the debris can also be found at the bottom of the gully as well. Viewing the wreckage requires a somewhat difficult scramble up a gully to get to it. Because the crash site is a historical aviation archeology site, the wreckage must not be removed. Most of what's left are large pieces of insulation, aluminum chassis, and engine parts.

Description West, Middle, and East Trinity Peaks are an ominous threesome in the Vestal Creek drainage. Each summit ranks as a Bicentennial peak. The peaks are made of fabulous quartzite and slate which offer an interesting mongrel-type of rock on which to scramble. This route is thought-provoking and not for the novice scrambler. It is included because of its challenge to both mind and body. Robert Ormes calls this traverse "one of the finest scrambling traverses in the San Juans." There are amazing panoramic views of the Needle Mountains. Be mindful of your step and practice your best yodel if you launch one. Trailhead There are two ways to get here: 1) Ride the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and exit at the Elk Park stop; 2) Backpack in from the Molas Pass Trailhead. If you decide to backpack from Molas Pass, start from the Molas Pass Trailhead, follow the signs and descend 1,600 feet to the Animas River and Elk Park. Once you cross the excellent footbridge over the river, start hiking along the train tracks. You shouldn't stay alongside the railroad tracks very long at all, though. Watch to the left, and find the signed turnoff for the Colorado Trail. After hiking 0.5 miles on this spur

Deb Kirk (2)

â&#x2013;˛ The Trinities.

trail, you'll pass a wilderness boundary sign and join the Elk Creek Trail. Continue your backpack for three miles to the notable beaver ponds at 10,000 feet. Walk around the west side of the ponds on some talus and find a trail that descends to Elk Creek. It's worth it to find this trail because it will lead you to a suitable log-crossing of the creek and to the Vestal Creek Trail. Vestal Creek Trail is unmaintained with much deadfall to impede your progress. But it's far preferable to a bushwhack up very steep terrain. Hike up the strenuous trail and enter a small meadow at 11,000 feet where the creek hooks to the east. Stay on the trail and enter the trees again. The first good campsites are available in this patch of forest once you reach flatter terrain. Otherwise, continue through the trees and hike through a second meadow found at around 11,400 feet. This meadow is situated below Vestal and Arrow Peaks, and there's a fine campsite atop a rocky bench on the north side of the meadow. You can continue to the next patch of forest where another couple hundred feet of elevation gain will lead you to a group of large campsites, your last good opportunity to drop your bags and set up camp.

OUT YOU GO

Route A detailed description of this scramble would take pages. Therefore, the best place to find out how you can enjoy this rambling traverse is to see Ryan Schilling's "gold standard" description on www.summitpost.com.

Did you know? The Colorado Mountain Club made the first ascent of the West and Middle Trinities in 1941 from Balsam Lake during their annual outing. CMC members Rit Burrows, Werner Schnackenberg, and Jim Patterson also made a first ascent of Vestal's Wham Ridge during the outing.

â&#x2014;&#x20AC; Hikers can ride the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to the Elk Park stop to begin the Trinity Traverse.

Mileage 4.8 miles from meadow camp; 10.2 miles for Elk Park backpack; 18 miles from Molas Pass trailhead Trail type Loop Estimated trip time 6 hours from camp Elevation gain 2,253 feet Highest elevation 13,805 feet Season Late June to mid-September Difficulty Difficult (Class 4) Post-scramble fun Needleton, Colo. Mountain range Grenadier Range

BONUS - OUT YOU GO Little Bear-Blanca Peak Traverse Mileage 4.4 miles; 10 miles backpacking Trail type Loop Estimated trip time 7 to 8 hours from camp Elevation gain 2,416 feet Highest elevation 14,345 feet Season June to October Difficulty Difficult (Class 4) Post-scramble fun Blanca, Colo.; DriveIn Hotel; Great Sand Dunes National Park; hot springs Mountain range Sangre de Cristo Range

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Climbing the Lesson Ladder Learning from Incidents in the Mountains

By Darin Baker 20

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joined the Colorado Mountain Club in March of 2002 and soon after enrolled in the club’s Basic Mountaineering School. With each module that I took, my confidence in my abilities grew and it opened up new possibilities of what I could do in the mountains. Without a doubt, as my confidence and skill increased, so did my acceptance of risk. In 2003, I climbed my first class 3 peaks: first was Mount Lindsey, then came Wetterhorn Peak and Mount Sneffels. These three peaks are good beginner class 3 peaks, and they boosted my confidence; I started to have hope of attaining the summits of all the fourteeners. In 2004, my experience level jumped to even higher levels. I started rock climbing with more regularity and I started climbing tougher peaks. In early July I completed a solo climb of Crestone Needle, which was a big step upward and a satisfying experience. Within two weeks of that climb, I went on a CMC trip to Pilot Knob and U.S. Grant Peak, both reputable thirteeners that offer challenges for the mountain rock scrambler. On this trip, I was fortunate to be climbing with very experienced mountaineers. And I learned one of my first serious lessons in the mountains: make sure I can down-climb what I scramble up. The First and Second Lessons On our return from a successful climb of U.S. Grant, a few of us stopped along the trail to play on a 20-foot-tall face of volcanic rock. After trying a couple of lower-angle scrambling lines, two of us took a steeper and more challenging line. We got stuck at a point halfway up: I was too nervous to go up, but unsure of how to get down. One member of our party grabbed a rope from a pack and walked around to the top and lowered the rope to me. Without a harness on, I didn’t dare let go of my holds to tie the rope around myself. Instead, I grasped ◀ On this face, the author and his climbing partners learned the ultimate lesson from the mountains.

the rope with a couple of twists around my wrist, and that was enough to give me the mental courage to climb to the top. I walked away unscathed, but perhaps a bit embarrassed and ashamed for putting myself in that situation, as well as jeopardizing the safety of our trip. From another perspective, though, that lesson sticks with me. I’ll always remember that assessing terrain before committing to a line is paramount in the decision-making process. In the next few years, I continued to climb tougher peaks here in Colorado— sometimes as snow climbs, sometimes as rock scrambles. With each new accomplishment, my confidence continued to grow and my acceptance of risk continued to increase. The summer of 2007 came along, and myself and two others were off to attempt Thunder Pyramid in the Elk Range. Thunder is notorious for its loose rock and sometimes tough route finding, but we were not deterred by that reputation. We planned to climb a peak known as Lightning Pyramid (Point 13,722’) first, then traverse north to Thunder. Following the description from a popular thirteeners guidebook, we ascended into the basin beneath the two peaks. Two of us took a more challenging line to climber’s right of the gully that separates the two peaks, while the third member of our party stayed conservative and opted for easier terrain. While we tackled our more challenging line, I learned my next big lesson in the mountains. Falls happen, and they happen fast. And they’re scary to see. Perhaps this lesson was more of a realization—maybe even a revelation. My partner was leading us through the more challenging line, through a dihedral, about 10 feet tall, and likely fifth class. Suddenly, he popped off his position when he was about five feet from the ground. He fell backwards, landing on his back on downsloping shale. But his momentum flipped him over. He continued over like he was doing a headstand and finally landed on his stomach with his feet downslope. I immediately started calling to our third partner for his help, unsure of the severity of our fallen partner’s injuries. Luckily, our fallen partner

told me he was ok and could move; he was able to slowly walk out under his own power after we administered some minor first-aid to cuts on his hands. When witnessing an unroped fall, a feeling of disbelief, helplessness, and fear overwhelms your thoughts. Luckily—and I believe due to wilderness first-aid training—those first reactions quickly take a back seat, and swift action prevails to help the fallen. Lesson learned. The Ultimate Lesson That fall was an eye opener; but perhaps not enough. In June of 2008, I would witness another fall in the mountains, one where my partner would not walk away. She died on Crestone Needle in front of us, less than 100 vertical feet from the summit. Six of us had headed out from our camp in South Colony Lakes. The plan was to climb the Needle via the south face and from the summit, depending on weather, traverse to Crestone Peak. We brought our harnesses, a rope, and slings for the rappel. We ascended the eastern gully of the south face, which is slightly harder than the western gully. I consider it class 4. Near the top, the two gullies converge. Near this intersection, instead of taking the easier, direct path to connect with the western gully, we started scrambling a more challenging line, deliberately choosing to increase our level of risk. It was on this more challenging line that our partner fell to her death. This terrain was more serious than the section described in the Thunder Pyramid incident; on this piece of terrain the exposure was greater. The section she fell from was probably about 10 to 15 feet of nearvertical but solid, dry conglomerate rock. The terrain below that section was terraced class 3 rock. Obviously, it’s not a place to take a fall, and we knew that, but we accepted the risks anyway. What Went Wrong Both of these falls—on Thunder PyraTrail & Timberline

mid and Crestone Needle—were the result of intentionally increasing our risk to exposure. The immediate cause of each fall is unknown; we can only speculate as to why or how they happened. Both falls occurred on class 4 or possibly low class 5 terrain, and I believe both climbers had appropriate experience and skill to attempt the moves required. In both cases, the line we chose to climb was not necessary. There were easier scrambling lines available to us. However, we wanted the line that looked challenging and fun. With those decisions made, the consequences were unfortunately paid. So, what lessons can we learn from these tragic events? After all, learning the skills to travel safely in the mountains should be accompanied by learning new skills for assessing risks, analyzing mistakes, and improving our judgement and mental organization while dealing with the mountain environment and its inherent dangers. Since these accidents have occurred, I’ve come to realize the importance of decision making, which directly relates to the human factor. From my first lesson of getting stuck on the rock, to the incident on Thunder Pyramid, to the Crestone Needle accident, the human factor was obviously at play. In any reputable avalanche class, one will hear about the human factor, and the heuristic traps that humans tend to fall into. Heuristics refers to experience-based techniques for problem solving, learning, and discovery. But these same techniques can become traps for backcountry users, whether it’s someone in avalanche terrain or someone scrambling over rock. Ultimately, I believe these accidents were a result of these traps. And learning to avoid heuristic traps is an essential tool to use in the decision-making process for anyone traveling in the mountains. Avoiding Heuristic Traps Using the study “Heuristic Traps in Recreational Avalanche Accidents” conducted by Ian McCammon, we can better understand the traps, the applicable circumstances, and how best to avoid falling victim to them—and travel more safely because of this newfound skill set. Familiarity As McCammon writes, “The familiarity heuristic relies on our past actions to guide our behavior in familiar settings. Rather than go through the trouble of figuring out what is appropriate every time, we simply behave as we have before in that setting.” 22

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This trap is evident in each of the accidents I’ve witnessed and been a part of. As I gained experience in the mountains, unprotected rock scrambling was “normal” and I learned to accept this. In fact, I never questioned it. In both falls, we were “doing what we do” on a rock scramble. To avoid this trap, everyone in a climbing party should reassess the route and decide if it’s the right thing for them to do. When it’s possible, roping up for sections can prevent big consequences. Of course, this can slow down the climb, but it may prove the difference between life and death. And, yes, there is always the option to ignore the aggressive line when there’s an easier line available. Social Facilitation “Social facilitation is a decisional heuristic where the presence of other people enhances or attenuates risk-taking by a subject, depending on the subject’s confidence in their risk-taking skills. In other words, when a person or group is confident in their skills, they will tend to take more risks using those skills when other people are present than they would when others are absent.” At some point in our lives, we’ve all been subject to these social pressures that McCammon describes, whether it has been in the mountains or in college or in our professional lives. Not surprisingly, this trap may have played a role in the Crestone accident. At the convergence of the two gullies, everyone in the party decided to take the more aggressive line. Did that influence the decision by our fallen climber to take that same aggressive line? Perhaps because she saw me climb that section, it boosted her confidence to do the same. To me, this trap is similar to that of peer pressure, even though it was unspoken peer pressure. The fallen climber knew her options for a safer line but she may have felt pressure to perform at the level others were demonstrating. Or, she may just have wanted the challenge. No one will ever know for sure. On top of that, the familiarity trap comes into play again here as well: because I had climbed this same section a year before, and found it to be “fun,” I went after it again. To avoid enabling or succumbing to social facilitation—much like avoiding the familiarity trap—everyone should assess the situation and be honest with themselves about their skill level, as well as their acceptance of risk. I will often tell others that are less experienced than I, in very simple terms, “Do what you feel is right for you. Just be-

cause I am climbing something more challenging, it doesn’t mean you have to. It’s ok to take an easier line.” With that said, there’s been several times where I’ve been the one to back off on a move or section because I was not comfortable with it, for whatever reason. I’m fine moving onto different terrain if I think it’s easier or I don’t want to take the added risk. And it should always be fine for others to do the same. It sounds simple, but dealing with pressures like this can be a very complex situation. Scarcity “The scarcity heuristic is the tendency to value resources or opportunities in proportion to the chance that you may lose them…” This trap is the typical “weekend warrior” attitude: “I drove all the way here for this peak, we will summit!” Have you been afflicted with “summit fever” before? Fortunately, I don’t think I get summit fever. I know the opportunity will be there another day. I hope you will realize that, too. Consistency McCammon also describes the consistency heuristic. “Once we have made an initial decision about something, subsequent decisions are much easier if we simply maintain consistency with that first decision. This strategy saves us time because we don’t need to sift through all the relevant information with each new development. Most of the time, the consistency heuristic is reliable, but it becomes a trap when our desire to be consistent overrules critical new information about an impending hazard.” To avoid this trap, don't be afraid to turn back or change plans according to what could be safer: consider the weather, the terrain, the skill level of the party members, even the confidence you feel as you approach the crux—all of these factors are likely to be variable on the morning of your climb. Change plans accordingly. It’s as simple as that. Acceptance “The acceptance heuristic is the tendency to engage in activities that we think will get us noticed or accepted by people we like or respect, or by people who we want to like or respect us. One of the more familiar forms of this heuristic is gender acceptance, or engaging in activities that we believe will get us accepted (or at least noticed) by the opposite sex.” It’s a hard conclusion to come to, but

is based on knowledge and experience [for the given] terrain; sometimes it is based on simply being older, [more skilled], or more assertive than other group members. Such situations are fertile ground for the expert halo heuristic, where an overall positive impression of the leader within the party leads them to ascribe skills to that person that they may not have.” To avoid this trap, party members must speak up, and must not feel intimidated to express your opinions, especially if you're uncomfortable with decisions being made. Again, it may sound simple, but the complexities of social interactions are only heightened in the mountain environment when risk and reward are being balanced.

The Expert Halo Finally, McCammon describes what he calls the “expert halo.” “In many recreational accident parties, there is an informal leader who, for various reasons, ends up making critical decisions for the party. Sometimes their leadership

Coming Home Safely There is a series of questions that was posed to me by an avalanche instructor years ago: “What’s above me, what’s below me, and what are the consequences?” Those questions have stayed with me, and are always on my mind regardless of whether I’m on a snow

slope, a scrambling route, or on a trail. What we do in the mountains has its inherent risks and danger. This fact does not escape me, and I accept it. However, due to the lessons I’ve learned in the mountains, I hope I now make better decisions than I have in the past. I still continue to take risks, but perhaps they’re a bit more calculated—and sometimes more conservative—than before. I also realize that as a fallible human, I will make mistakes, just like everyone inevitably will. No matter the level of experience and skill, an accident can happen to anyone, at anytime, for many reasons. Whether it’s a bad judgment call, a slip on snow, or rock fall from climbers above, we’re exposed to these inherent dangers. So think before you climb: be prepared for your next endeavor, be honest with yourself about your skills and experience, and choose your partners wisely for the route you intend to do. Most importantly, though, go out and have a great experience. And come home safely. △

CAROLINE GEORGE ESTABLISHES UPRISING, A FIRST ASCENT IN WADI RUM, JORDAN

I wonder if I fell into this trap when I got stuck on the rock? Perhaps I was trying to impress my more experienced climbing partners? But for what? To avoid this trap, do what is right for you, not what is right for someone else. Take responsibility for yourself and your abilities. Be honest with yourself about your abilities and your experience. Don’t read a thrilling trip report online, then immediately gather your friends to tackle this same trip when it’s way over your head or out of your league. The mountains are no place to show off— your climbing partners won’t be impressed and, needless to say, neither will the mountain. So, what’s left is your ego. Never climb for your ego.

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4/14/11 2:41 PM

Balancing Act Learning to be a nature lover and a nature adventurer

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By Emily Loose and Morgan Heim Photography by Morgan Heim

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typical Saturday morning: wake up, stretch, and leave the comfort of your cozy bed in favor of a brutally steep and rocky mountain summit. You find yourself magnificently alone somewhere between the trees and clouds. Just you and nature. Beautiful. Peaceful. Is this the weekend routine of the average Colorado citizen—like you or me? Or is it the daily routine of every bighorn sheep, mountain lion, bear, and every other critter that calls this mountain ecosystem home? It can be both, but there is a careful balance. Colorado is a state with immense natural resources. Of course, there are the worldfamous national parks and wilderness areas, and the 54 mountain peaks stretching over 14,000 feet towards the sky. Then, there are the 42 state forests and hundreds of thousands of acres of municipal open space. All of this seeming bounty composes the natural landscape we call home. And, with nearly 30 million of the state’s more than 66 million acres protected, the “wild” experience is never far away. There is little doubt that Colorado is a leader in protecting wild nature, and we are fortunate to enjoy a plethora of

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wild opportunities. But, as many of us have heard before, a rapidly growing population, the increasing popularity of outdoor recreation in these natural areas, and environmental concerns such as climate change, have already begun to take their toll on our natural resources. That is why it is of growing importance that we balance use, so that experiences like these remain for future generations of people and wildlife. It’s about continuing to observe, and learning every step of the way. But what does balance really mean? Nature Needs Half, a global call-to-action to protect and interconnect at least half of the planet’s land and water, gives a framework for finding the answer to this question. The Nature Needs Half vision was launched in 2009 by The WILD Foundation, a worldwide wilderness organization based in Boulder, Colo., and adopted by dozens of organizations and activists around the world, including Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, The Wildlife Trust of India, Rewilding Europe, and Art for Conservation here in Colorado. The goal of Nature Needs Half is based on peer-reviewed ecosystem science

which tells us that in order for nature— plants, animals, and people—to survive and thrive, we need to protect at least half of the living space that we all call home. Conservation great E.O. Wilson said it himself in The Future of Life in 2002. “Today about 10 percent of the land surface is protected on paper,” wrote Wilson. “Even if this is rigorously conserved, this amount is not enough to save more than a modest fraction of wild species. Let me suggest 50 percent. Half the world for humanity, half for the rest of life, to create a planet both self-sustaining and pleasant.” Protecting at least half of the planet’s land and water means that animals and ecosystems can survive and adapt to environmental changes, and that human communities can continue to access the essential resources they need, such as fresh water and clean air. It also means that there are ample opportunities to connect with wild nature through solitude and recreation. Colorado offers a prime example of how a place benefits from a commitment to conservation. There are also economic benefits to protecting at least half. A National Park Service

study in 2009 reported $336,956,000 of economic benefit from national park tourism in Colorado. Wild nature provides so much for us as a human community. So-called ecosystem services—including clean air and water, healthy land and wildlife—often overlooks the psychological, emotional, and spiritual benefits we reap from time spent in nature, either as recreationists or quiet visitors. Protecting at least half of any given ecosystem is important not only for the tangible benefits of nature, but also for fostering a happy and healthy human society. Colorado was rated fifth in 2010 by The Gallup-Healthways WellBeing Index. Boulder and Fort Collins are ranked first and third respectively for mid-size cities on the same index. These numbers may well correlate to the time Coloradans spend outside, enjoying the natural areas readily available throughout the state. A survey completed to inform the Colorado State Parks Trail Program reported that the vast majority—75 percent—of those surveyed felt that outdoor activities were important to the quality of life in Colorado. The same survey reported that the most common reasons for valuing trails are to see or enjoy nature, and to have fun with family and friends. Spending time in wild nature is the most direct way to relate with our local landscape and the planet as a whole. But, every footprint and every visit has an impact. “Outdoor recreation provides an endless list of benefits, from improved health and wellness, knowledge gained in the outdoor classroom, peace and solitude, and opportunity for shared social experience,” emphasizes Katie Blackett, CEO of the Colorado Mountain Club. “Although the CMC has always educated our members on best practices for outdoor recreation, the list of impacts is also endless, including our imperceptible effects on wildlife, alteration of water flow due to trail systems, or lasting impacts of human waste in alpine areas.”

The human relationship with nature is not unlike our interpersonal relationships, which require intricate balance, and a need for care, dialogue, and nurturing to keep that balance healthy. When these relationships become lopsided, with too much give or take on either side, they fall into disrepair. Our

tling with more than 5.6 million national park visits, over 500,000 people climbing the fourteeners, and more than 11 million visitors to state parks. These numbers won’t be going down any time soon. Our population continues to rise rapidly. Forecasts predict a 40 percent

relationship to nature and wild places is no different. Often cited as a leading example of conservation, Boulder County has more than exceeded a 50 percent goal, protecting about 68 percent of its natural areas. The people of Boulder were the first in the nation to vote for a city sales tax to purchase open space in 1967; other cities followed. Now, a mixture of national park, state parks, open space, and private conservation easements create a mosaic of protection around the county. Even with this success, Boulder is a prime example that protection is not enough. Boulder boasts more than 200 miles of designated hiking trails, but an additional 300 miles of unofficial trails also carve the land. The City of Boulder’s open space areas receive more than 5 million visits a year. In terms of people’s footprints, that’s more than what was seen at Grand Canyon National Park in 2010, according to the National Park Service. Scale that up, and you have a state bus-

population increase in Colorado within the next 20 years. “Coloradans love the outdoors—and their national forests,” says Ralph Swain, the Forest Service’s Regional Wilderness Program Manager for Region 2, which includes Colorado. “There are over 14 million acres of national forest lands in Colorado and people value these lands for the opportunities to hike, fish, hunt, and explore wild places, to see wildlife in their natural setting, and the benefits of clean air and clean water being protected for future generations.” With more people and more users, how can we ensure that those valued natural experiences are available for generations to come? Do we charge fees, or increase already existing fees? Do we limit access, or close certain areas completely to recreation? These strategies may very well be necessary and important management techniques in certain areas. Nature Needs Half thinks a balanced approach to recreation and stewardship can provide a more widely applicable and rewarding approach. Trail & Timberline

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“The role of citizen stewardship is vital to the future of public lands,” Swain says. “Fortunately, more and more people are volunteering and giving back. They want to be part of the stewardship of these valued landscapes.” With Nature Needs Half, we are looking to examples to show that 50 percent is possible. And where better to start than WILD’s own backyard? A Boulder case study, showcased through a series of multimedia chapters, is highlighting ways to achieve at least 50 percent protection, and illustrate the importance of stewardship. These chapters share the stories of Boulder’s conservation legacy, havens for threatened wildlife, a return to nature for environments seemingly beyond repair, and the careful balance of enjoyment and responsibility. That is why this summer we are working with the Colorado Mountain Club to showcase the joys of recreation and the responsible stewardship so inherent to the missions of both the CMC and Nature Needs Half. “The Colorado Mountain Club serves to unite individuals who identify themselves with an outdoor activity: hikers, fly fishermen, climbers, mountaineers, backpackers, or skiers,” Blackett says. “What we all have in common is the resource—our public land. As a club, we have an enormous impact on the landscape, by gathering groups for outings and by teaching skills-based schools that encourage trained individuals to go forth and use their knowledge on personal trips. It would be ecologically and socially irresponsible for us not to weave conservation and active stewardship through our programs.” In short, one chapter of the Boulder case study will document the efforts of CMC to take care of what we love to enjoy, and serve as a positive example to other recreationists of how to be nature lovers as well as nature adventurers. Stewardship is not a service, but a responsibility of those that recreate in our wild places. This is a philosophy at the heart of the CMC. If we can give back to nature a mere portion of the benefits that we receive, the half that we have protected will continue to provide for us. It’s all part of the legacy and future of CMC. “The ‘land ethic’ has been a part of CMC’s mission statement for 100 years and we are proud to continue the legacy of CMC’s founding members, actively giving back to our recreation community and sustaining Colorado’s natural resources now and for future generations,” Blackett says. △ Emily Loose is the Communications Director for The WILD Foundation; learn more at www.wild.org. Morgan Heim is a conservation photographer and environmental journalist based in Boulder. See more of her work at www.moheimphotography.com. To learn more about the Nature Needs Half movement, visit www.natureneedshalf.org.

Trail & Timberline

frozen by thought The Deliberation to Make the Call

by march thompson

he prefrontal cortex of your brain sits directly behind your forehead, helping you to contemplate conflicting thoughts, determine good, better, best, and to weigh the risks and consequences of every decision. It has other functions, but these developments are the most crucial

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because they save your life multiple times a day—and can lower your car insurance rates. That’s right. This area of the brain has been referenced by doctors and CEOs alike because it’s maturation is directly linked to your chances of making informed decisions. You’re probably wondering if you’ve ac-

cidentally picked up a copy of Men’s Health. No fear—this is a mountaineering article. I refer to the prefrontal cortex because my college anatomy class paralleled a time in my life when I began to take bigger risks in the mountains, weighing the careful tension between risk and reward.

Kevin Brumbach

I grew up in the Roaring Fork Valley, post-holing in the large and wise footsteps of my elders—my father and his crotchety crew of mangled mountaineers. They are men who’ve grown their roots deep into the soil of the Elk Mountains for longer than I’ve been alive, whose sense of place enlivens

and deepens their sense of adventure. They gave me a healthy dose of inspiration—a springboard for subsequent adventures. When I arrived at Colorado College in 2003, I found myself surrounded by enthusiastic masters of

Leave No Trace ethos, kids who hailed from the icy slopes of the Northeast who were frothing at the mouth to tackle the sunny slopes of Colorado. My old, adopted gear and perplexing attachment to my homeland was met with my peers’ obsessively analytical calculations of the mountains. I was soon the only female amongst a crew of adventurous guys, who taught me an enormous amount of snow science, geology, gear trends, and ski techniques. But, because the female prefrontal cortex often finds maturity at a younger age than that of males, I repeatedly found myself chewing on that internal dialogue of “acceptable risk” as I chased those free-spirited boys up their impossibly steep skin tracks. They have accompanied me on precipitous peaks and ridges, Grand Traverses, and not-so-grand traverses. Though we have all gotten better at gauging our limits, we are not exempt from the laws of nature. But one story, amongst the many memories I could share, stands out not only for its epic and raw character, but for the preoccupying debate that surrounded a single decision. That crisp New Year's Eve day is hard to think about, even now that the sharp winter chills are no longer in the air. Our midwinter hut trip had become a sacred ritual amongst our college crew, each of whom have become devoted and responsible backcountry addicts, boasting intuitive communication skills and an ironclad group bond. Friends flew in from every corner of the country to celebrate the turning of another year at the Skinner Hut, an 11-mile skin from either side of Hagerman Pass. The NOAA forecast for the days leading up to our trip seemed to be increasingly dire with every click of the refresh button, threatening a high of -5˚F and wind gusts approaching 40 miles per hour at the top of the pass. We had pre-departure meetings, discussing everything from blister prevention to techniques on keeping water thawed. We had toe and hand warmers, neck warmers, face gaiters, over mitts and tea thermoses, an open dialogue, an unrivaled resumé of experience, and a deep sense of group trust. It would be survival mode from the beginning, and we discussed at length the need for group accountability and reasonable decisions. We each understood that we needed to simultaneously exercise rugged individualism—assuming responsibility for our own actions and safety first—while also accounting for each other in every decision and at every turn in the skin track. This is the tricky tension of backcountry travel, and has since been a hot topic of discussion amongst my peers and my elders alike. We each assume a heavy responsibility of knowing ourselves and our limitations when we strap gear to our backs and tread boldly into the backcountry. You are your own primary caregiver when in Trail & Timberline

portunity to warm the unforgivingly frigid air. We donned layers and boots inside the idling cars, preserving every last joule of warmth in our bodies. Maps were memorized and tucked away, plans were discussed, and we humbly began our long, cold trek. On a balmy day such as this, 11 miles is no small task, and we knew that we needed to move quickly and easily through the icy air, minimizing skin exposure and rest time. The route offers difficulty not in elevation gain but in length, stringing you across Turquoise Lake for 8 miles before any signifi-

ing to the hut. Every circumstance is a product of many decisions, the most pivotal perhaps being the first. No matter how sound my judgment may have been that morning, the decision to tackle the traverse at all deemed everything else a minor detail. I had contemplated placing toe warmers into my boots that morning, but as is the case with every decision, there are pros and cons that could be equally consequential. My telemark boots are snug, even with a midweight sock, and toe warmers could prevent

cant climbing begins. We spent the better part of the morning nuzzling our faces into neck warmers that were moist with breath vapor, freezing against our chapped skin. We stayed in the protection of the trees whenever possible to avoid the gusts of wind that were ripping across the length of the lake. But the weather had taken itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s toll on us before we even began the last 3 miles ascend-

vital blood flow from reaching my toes, but I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t guarantee that an elevated heart rate would revive my chilly digits. This decision, like every other passing thought that day, could very easily go either direction. After much deliberation, I chose to put my confidence in my circulation and trust that it would be sufficient. We moved quickly, sliding one ski in front of the other with

Kevin Brumbach

a group of other experienced mountaineers, responsible for keeping yourself alive, safe, and happy. If each member of a group practices this rugged individualism (as it is affectionately referred to by my father and his friends), then there is no confusion about leadership or superiority, and a mutual respect and understanding is found. When the weather turns, however, rugged individualism unravels. No matter how self-aware and responsible you are, you have no way of seeing the white patch of skin appear on your cheek, and no way of pulling yourself back

into a rational thought process when dehydration or hypoxia have taken their toll. The air that day was bitter cold and lifeless. It immediately stung exposed skin, froze nostrils, and sucked the energy away from lesser-insulated body parts. We departed the trailhead before 8:30 a.m., hoping to take advantage of each moment of daylight, while giving the sun every last op32

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rapid cadence in an effort to keep our heart rates and core temperatures high, which in my case, was not enough. When we got to the far end of the lake, we lowered our heads and slowly charged one foot in front of the other, faces fully shielded to battle the winds cascading from the pass above. My dad and his buddies braved Hagerman Pass coming from the Frying Pan River valley, facing the 40 mile per hour winds in the exposed tundra above tree line. We were all checking each other’s faces for patches of white skin, but to adjust gear was an equal risk of frostbite. My dad arrived at the hut with a two-inch triangle of raised white skin on his left cheek and the tip of his right thumb thawing with screaming hot pain. The difficulty with the cold is that it kindly numbs its victim—rendering the tissue quiet and unassuming—before going on. I knew my toes were cold, but never once contemplated frostbite. After I arrived at the hut I quickly emptied the contents of my pack to gain access to every ounce of down I had carried in, and nestled onto a bench by the stove until I was warm enough to imagine tinkering with the tight metal buckles of my boots. Eventually, I pulled out my down hut booties and committed myself to the task of dealing with my feet. I pulled my right boot and sock off first, wrapping my hands around my cold, bare white toes. I then reached for my left foot, but as soon as I gripped those digits, I felt my big toe laying lifelessly in my palm, icy and rock-hard. In a moment of exhaustion, delirium and panic, I threw my feet into dry wool socks and down booties, deciding to let them thaw in their own time. My other nine toes continued into the stage that is affectionately deemed “the screaming-barfies”—a pain so sharp and intense that nausea is a common side-effect. Physiologically, screaming barfies are the result of tissue death that occurs when tiny ice crystals form between cells, rupturing the cell membranes, only notifying your brain once the ice crystals have thawed. Ironically, the only thing worse than the screaming barfies is no pain at all. I anxiously awaited what I knew would be a miserable experience, but as my other nine toes passed from gripping pain to hot, swollen sausages, my left big toe sat in silence. Curious, I pulled out my headlamp and took my first look at the lonely digit, ◀ From top to bottom, the toe evolves: day 3, day 6, day 11, and day 22.

which no longer appeared hard and white, but now held a waxy green hue, burnt at a diagonal wrapping from the most exposed point of the toe, down around the nail and cuticle on both the top and bottom of the toe. Tired and dismissive, I resolved to deal with the consequences in the morning, knowing that no more damage would occur while curled up in a -15˚F sleeping bag. I woke up a few times that night, feeling the hot blisters forming on the superficially burned skin at the base of the frostbite. When we awoke the next morning, I found my father assembling the coffee pot, with the lower half of the left side of his face swollen from the frostbite on his cheek. That morning we pulled the various mountain medicine resources from the shelves of the Tenth Mountain Hut System library, dissecting the informative paragraphs for the relevant information. I prepared a water bath of 105˚F, which I should have done the night before. I swirled my toe for 30 minutes until I was sure that the tissues were supple. The thought of shoving my foot back into a boot deemed skiing an unfathomable task. The waxy green toe remained numb, but the blisters that formed around the cuticle were full and tender. The remote seclusion of the Skinner Hut began to sink in as I contemplated the various solutions to my predicament. Half of our group, including my dad, departed the hut a day early. Our remarkable access to cell phone service allowed me to communicate with my father and Tenth Mountain Executive Director and family friend, Ben Dodge. Once we began the conversation regarding my various options, the fear and shock of the frostbite started to sink in. It was no longer an interesting battle wound, but a hindrance that was about to demand that I impose on others’ schedules, enjoyment, and comfort. I would rather suffer silently 999 times out of 1,000 than admit to needing help, but the doctor that I spoke with through a labored and scratchy cell connection sternly warned me to avoid re-freezing the damaged tissue which could necessitate amputation—a heavy word that I was not ready to confront. A road winds its way from Turquoise Lake up to Hagerman Pass that is within a stone’s throw of the hut door, but the winds from the days before had created drifts that few snowmobiles could conquer. Ben had offered the services of the Tenth Mountain employees on the Leadville side of the pass, but they could only trek to the far end of the Trail & Timberline

halfway to a solution, as I had not yet come to terms with the possibility of including a public audience in my exit. We sat down as a group and discussed our options and the repercussions for those involved. My friends were respectful of me and the stressful emotional burden that I felt in submitting to the larger production, but we all knew that calling the Lake County Search and Rescue would make their descent far safer as the weather had warmed significantly since the first day, but still sat below 20˚F. I called the search and rescue team and they assured me that their snowmobiles would be able to make it to the hut. The dispatcher nervously asked if I needed an immediate rescue, or if I could wait until

Taylor Shekell

lake, still three miles and a 1,500-foot descent from the hut. Ben gave me the code to the crawlspace lock, and we hauled out the heavy rescue sled to the ground floor to visualize the logistics involved in such a rescue. Using the sled would have demanded a long and arduous day for my friends, defensively descending the steep valley against the combined weight of the rescue sled and myself. Once reaching the lake, they would have had to find a way to get the sled back to the hut, or stash it and repeat the full trek to the hut at a later date. I couldn’t bear the thought of lying in a sled, pain-free aside from a blistered toe, watching my friends, though incredibly strong and experienced in rescues, struggle through the arduous descent.

I was on and off the phone with my dad, his well-connected buddy Randy, and Ben Dodge all evening. After contemplating my options, our resident NOLS leader asked if I had considered calling a search and rescue team. To be honest, I was hoping that nobody would suggest such a grandiose solution. I reserve search and rescue as a last option—a true emergency. I was not bleeding, or gasping for my last breath, and to dispatch a rescue team in any other circumstance in my mind, would be giving up. Realizing that I could not solve my predicament under my own devices was only 34

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morning. I assured him that I would be fine, jesting that I would like to make my rescue appointment for sometime around 9 a.m. We woke up early, packed up our belongings, and cleaned the hut. I wrapped my left foot in a big down booty stuffed with toe warmers, and hobbled my way down to the road, where three strapping rescuers sat on their respective sleds, the last sled flashing with blue and red rescue lights for show, unappreciated by the frozen branches and snow drifts. I arrived safely at the trailhead an hour later, thanked the search and rescue team, gave them my fishing license number, and drove

myself to St. Vincent’s Hospital in Leadville. Having the capacity to make informed decisions is important, but pride and humility often predispose us to certain choices, no matter how sharp our objective rationality may be. This is our acceptable risk level. The right decision is often the less appealing option, whether it is taking the extra time, turning around, or not going at all. I had to relinquish my pride of self-sufficiency if I wanted to have future adventures. Dire circumstances don’t always show up dressed in blood and panic, as I have always imagined—which is the biggest deception of all. Sometimes our most important decisions are presented in seemingly mundane, habituated costume—a day like any other, but maybe colder, maybe longer, or maybe with a hidden snowpack that is slightly less stable. The value of your prefrontal cortex is most recognizable in your ability to humbly accept and follow its suggestions, like that nagging angel on your shoulder. I left that adventure disappointed to have missed out on the mediocre wind-crusted skiing, but safe and warm— a feeling that is undoubtedly better appreciated only after you’ve experienced the other extreme. My life in the month that followed entailed copious amounts of burn care and yoga. The toe slowly progressed from a waxy green hue, to dark grey, maroon, and then black. The skin slowly peeled away, starting with the most superficially burned areas, where the blisters formed, progressing to the tip of the toe, where the burn was deepest—four millimeters deep at the apex. The majority of the burned tissue shed within a month, leaving behind a perfectly healthy pink toe, far more sensitive than before. Had I chosen to brave the long ski out, regardless of preventative measures taken to minimize risk, exposure to the cold after such a significant tissue injury would have had more permanent and regrettable consequences. So here’s to humility and our biological checks and balances. And may your prefrontal cortex keep you healthy, happy, and safe for your next adventure, especially if it’s a New Year’s hut trip. △

Lessons Learned

The Top 10 Lessons from the inaugural CMC Statewide Backcountry Incident Review Conference By Ryan Ross

The first-ever CMC backcountry incident review conference in April offered a chance to learn the easy way: in a conference room. The presenters, however, had brought their stories and lessons that they’d learned the hard way: in the backcountry. Rich McAdams, Tom Hill, Deb Robak, and Todd Nelson brought their stories from the field―from challenging CMC trips that they had led―to help promote backcountry safety. Here we present a summary of their key lessons. 10 ▶ Incidents happen to every trip leader, including the best. No amount of class study, experience, equipment, preparation, or luck will save you from someday having to deal with a life-threatening situation. If you go into the backcountry regularly, sooner or later you, too, will find yourself tested and challenged when things don’t go according to plan and, all of a sudden, lives hang in the balance— no matter how good a leader you are. 9 ▶ Have every participant take their cell phone. Because you don’t know where the nearest cell tower is, you won’t know where you can get reception. Sometimes it’s a simple matter of climbing a few feet to a ledge to get line-of-sight on a cell tower. The sooner you can get help, the better the chance of saving a life. Seconds matter. 8 ▶ Think ahead by asking yourself, “What if...?” When trouble develops, the window for thinking through the situation is short. Lives may depend on you making the best decision—quickly. Having an idea about what you would do if certain situations develop before they happen, gives you a better handle on what to do when they happen. Because they will happen—see #10. 7 ▶ Information should be a twoway street. It’s not just a matter of letting trip participants know what to expect. The information you get from them—both

about themselves and the conditions as they unfold—will be every bit as valuable. Make sure at the outset that participants on your trips know that you want to know what they know, see, hear, or feel—every step of the way. 6 ▶ Write accurate and thorough trip descriptions. Underselling the difficulty of a trip to get better attendance is a prescription for the kind of trouble you don’t want. Better to get a smaller group of people with proper expectations and required skills than a larger group unprepared for what they encounter. It’s not that unprepared participants will regret having come along (although they may), it’s that you will regret having them along. 5 ▶ Respect snow. It makes everything more difficult and challenging. It takes more time, more energy, more equipment, and more know-how, and it retards response time. Plan accordingly. Three of the four trips discussed at the conference were mostly in snow, and none involved the greatest snow danger of all: avalanches. 4 ▶ Limit the number of trip participants according to the risks being taken. The greater the risks, the more important it is to get the size of the group right: not so small so as to be unable to get help if needed, and not too large to make the need for help ever greater. But getting group size right is important even on

simple day hikes. Sometimes the greatest risks are unforeseen—and unforeseeable. 3 ▶ Write all trip plans in pencil. The textbooks and maps that you read ahead of the trip give you only a small fraction of the information you need. Be prepared to adjust to on-scene conditions (weather, snow pack, trail/route issues) and to the information from park rangers and others in the backcountry. Ask anyone who might have information that will help, but carefully assess their ability to provide accurate information. Then once the trip is underway, reassess your plans continually, taking into account new information as it comes in, minute-byminute, second-by-second. 2 ▶ Know your trip participants as well as you know yourself. The greater the challenge, the more time you’ll want to invest in meeting with—and assessing the skills of—those on the trip. Self-assessments are a formula for trouble. People tend naturally to exaggerate what they can do when they’re sitting in the comfort of their home speaking on a phone. You’ll have to get them in the backcountry before you can even begin to assess whether they can handle your trip if all goes according to plan, much less if a serious challenge arises. So if the trip is challenging enough, take practice trips in the backcountry. Watch carefully. Better to see something here than when it’s too late. 1 ▶ Life is fragile, precious, and irretrievable. Taking risks in the backcountry is more than ok, it’s why we’re members, it’s why we do what we do. But taking smart risks is better. And doing everything that can reasonably be done to ensure that everyone gets a chance to go on another trip on another day is the ideal. Above all else, be safe out there.

The author produced the CMC Statewide Backcountry Incident Review Conference. Next year's conference is scheduled for February 11, 2012, in Golden, Colo. Trail & Timberline

Deadly Monarch Death on Longs Peak By Woody Smith Longs Peak can claim many titles: Beacon of the Northern Front Range, Monarch of Rocky Mountain National Park—and Colorado's deadliest peak. Since 1884, 62 people are known to have died on or near Longs Peak, far surpassing any other Colorado mountain (see page 38). Why is Longs so deadly? Part of the reason is visibility. In a 1991 Denver Post article, Claire Martin wrote, “Anyone who visits or lives in Denver, Boulder, Longmont, or Fort Collins can see it almost any day of the year. Many people climb Longs... because they like the thought of pointing to the most prominent fourteener on the skyline

Locations of Roped and Unroped Falls East Face ◆ Broadway 3 (31, 37, 61) ◆ Kiener's 1 (44) ◆ Lambs Slide 3 (32, 34, 40) ◆ Notch Couloir Chim. 4 (8, 9, 22, 61) ◆ Ships Prow 1 (29) ◆ Stettner's Ledges 1 (15) ◆ Yellow Wall 1 (53) Total - 14 Loft Route ◆ 4 (48, 50, 52, 56) Total - 4

Longs Peak can claim many titles: Beacon of the Northern Front Range, Monarch of Rocky Mountain National Park—and Colorado's deadliest peak.

Northwest Ridge (False Keyhole) ◆ 3 (12, 20, 59) Total - 3

and saying they've made it to the top.” But Longs is no walk-up. Even by its easiest route, the Keyhole, Longs is a 5,000-foot ascent which features two 6-mile hikes—one up and one down— wrapped around 3 miles of bouldering and scampering on steep, unstable and often exposed terrain. Despite its difficulty, Longs draws the multitudes. An estimated 8,000 to 12,000 hikers reach the summit each Continued on page 39 ▶ 36

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North Face ◆ Cable Route ◆ Left Dove ◆ Zumies Chimney

East Face 8 9 10 14 15

3 ( 3, 28, 45) 2 (13, 21) 1 (16) Total - 6

South Face/Keyhole Route ◆ Homestretch 6 (18, 19, 36, 39, 43, 60) ◆ Ledges 3 (47, 51, 62) ◆ Narrows 2 (35, 49) ◆ Trough 1 (41) ◆ East Chimney 1 (26) Total - 13

17 22 29 30 31 32 34 37 40 44 46 53 54 61

11 28 45

Longs Peak Odds 53% ▶ Unroped Falls 9.7% ▶ Heart Attack 1 8% ▶ Hypothermia 33 20 4.8% ▶ Exhaustion and exposure 12 13 4.8% ▶ Lightning 59 4.8% ▶ Rope/Equipment Failure/Fall 21 3.2% ▶ Hypothermia and Fall 16 3.2% ▶ Injury leading to Hypothermia Ledges 3.2% ▶ Suicide/Fall 38 41 5 55 1.6% ▶ Falling Rock 47 51 62 39 1.6% ▶ Gunshot 50 1.6% ▶ Equip. Failure/Hypothermia 1.6% ▶ Unknown Causes

48 52 56

57 27

Narrows 2 26 35 49 Homestretch 18 19 36 43 58 60

23 42

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Those who have perished on or near Longs Peak* No. Name 1 Carrie J. Welton 2 Frank Stryker

Home state Connecticut Iowa

Date Sept. 23, 1884 Aug. 28, 1889

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

Gregory Aubuchon H. F. Targett Jesse Kitts Agnes Vaille Herbert Sortland Forrest Keatring Charles Thiemeyer R. B. Key Robert Smith Gary Secor Jr. John Fuller Gerald Clark Charles Grant Earl Harvey Rena Hoffman David Jones Prince Wilmon Ken Murphy James O'Toole Blake Heister Jr. Rudolf Postweiler Fred Stone Joan Jardine Paul Russell Gerald Murphy Jay Van Stavern Joseph Holub William Gizzie Michael Neri Harvey Schneider Dr. Edward Sujansky Charles Nesbit Kris Gedney Robert Slyer Robert Elliot James Duffy III Dr. Lawrence Farrell Roger Hardwick Evan Corbett

Indiana California Colorado Colorado North Dakota Colorado Colorado Mississippi Indiana Colorado Iowa Colorado Illinois Virginia Illinois Missouri Arkansas Oklahoma California Colorado Colorado Colorado Colorado Michigan Colorado Colorado Alabama Colorado Colorado Colorado Colorado Colorado Colorado Iowa Colorado Colorado Colorado Colorado Colorado

July 20, 1921 Sept. 26, 1921 Aug. 1, 1922 Jan. 12, 1925 Jan. 12, 1925 July 23, 1926 Aug. 18, 1929 Sept. 18, 1931 July 18, 1932 Aug. 29, 1932 Aug. 8, 1938 Aug. 7, 1939 Sept. 1, 1946 June 5, 1954 Aug. 15, 1956 April 21, 1960 April 21, 1960 Aug. 27, 1962 Sept. 30, 1962 Aug. 27, 1966 Sept. 11, 1971 Jan. 23, 1972 Jan. 23, 1972 June 12, 1972 Aug. 12, 1972 April 1, 1973 Aug. 20, 1973 Aug. 24, 1975 June 1, 1977 Sept. 16, 1978 Sept. 1, 1979 Oct. 6, 1979 Nov. 14, 1979 June 26, 1980 Jan. 10, 1981 Dec. 14, 1981 Sept. 12, 1986 Aug. 10, 1988 July 21, 1989

42 43

Albert Fincham Timothy Fromalt

Illinois Colorado

Aug. 25, 1989 July 29, 1990

44 45

Joe Massari Carl Siegel

Colorado Colorado

April 22, 1991 Feb. 3, 1993

AGE CAUSE 42 Exhaustion and exposure 24 Accidental gunshot wound from carrying loaded pistol in his pocket, which fell out and discharged into his neck 18 1,800-foot unroped fall 55 Unknown ? Lightning 31 Hypothermia 22 Hypothermia 19 1,000-foot unroped fall 28 1,500-foot roped fall (belay failure) ? Solo unroped fall ? Decapitated by falling rock 16 150-foot unroped fall 26 550-foot unroped fall 37 Hypothermia/head injury 19 Fall/belay failure 19 500-foot fall 33 Lightning 18 1,000-foot fall 23 400-foot fall 19 100-foot fall 20 Fall 48 1,200-foot unroped fall 48 Heart attack 20 Hypothermia/broken leg 21 Hypothermia 24 Unroped fall 51 Heart attack 19 1,800-foot unroped fall 22 200-foot fall ? Heart attack or hypothermia 21 600-foot unroped fall 22 Unroped fall 43 Heart attack 36 600-foot unroped fall 22 Suicide by ingestion of antifreeze 16 Fall 26 90-foot belayed fall 24 Hypothermia 33 Unroped fall 30 900-foot unroped fall 20 Suicide by ingestion of sleeping pills and 500-foot jump 52 Heart attack 27 Fell 60 feet attempting to stop girlfriend's fall 45 1,500-foot unroped fall 30 500-foot unroped fall

46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62

Kelly Thomas Jun Kamimura Timothy Maron Raymond Decker James Page Gregory Koczanski Colby Sharp Cameron Tague Andy Haberkorn Sudheer Averineni Clayton Smith Albert Langemann Maynard Brandsma John Bramley Jeffrey Rosinski Benjamin Hebb John M. Regan

Colorado Japan Colorado Louisiana New York Virginia Colorado Colorado Colorado Colorado Colorado Unknown Colorado Colorado Rhode Island Colorado Kansas

Sept. 14, 1993 Aug. 25, 1995 Sept. 9, 1997 Aug. 3, 1999 Aug. 4, 1999 Aug. 14, 1999 March 4, 2000 July 6, 2000 July 12, 2000 Sept. 4, 2004 Sept. 3, 2006 Jan. 10, 2009 July 20, 2009 Sept. 10, 2009 July 15, 2010 Aug. 27, 2010 Sept. 25, 2010

27 33 26 75 56 42 28 32 28 26 58 55 62 55 29 26 57

Hypothermia 400-foot unroped fall 220-foot unroped fall Slip on ice/150-foot unroped fall 90-foot unroped fall 450-foot unroped fall 300-foot unroped fall 799-foot unroped fall Lightning Exposure 800-foot unroped fall Heart attack Heart attack Unroped fall 300-foot unroped fall 800-foot unroped fall 300-foot unroped fall

LOCATION Keyhole Homestretch descent

Between Cable Route and summit Possibly Peacock Pool Summit Base of North Face route Boulder Field Notch Couloir chimneys Notch Couloir chimneys Mills Glacier Base of Cable Route False Keyhole shortcut Left Dove Near Field's Chimney Stettner's Ledges Over Zumie's Chimney Mills Moraine Homestretch Homestretch Keyhole (off route) Attempting shortcut from Keyhole Notch Couloir chimneys 3 miles up on Longs Peak Trail Lower Roaring Fork Lower Roaring Fork East Chimney Route (above Narrows) 1.5 miles up on Longs Peak Trail Between Cable Route and summit Ships Prow Chasm Meadow Broadway Ledge Lamb's Slide Keyhole Lamb's Slide Narrows Homestretch Broadway Ledge Ledges Between Homestretch and Keplinger's Lamb's Slide Into Trough 4 miles up Longs Peak Trail Homestretch Kiener's Route Cable Route (after successful Diamond ascent) Chasm Lake Ledges The Loft Narrows Gorrell's Traverse Ledges The Loft Base of Yellow Wall Casual Route on the Diamond Summit The Loft 1 mile up Longs Peak trail Homestretch False Keyhole Homestretch North Couloir chimneys Ledges

*Much of the information in this table comes from Paul Nesbit's Longs Peak: Its Story and a Climbing Guide. Further compilation by Woody Smith.

Trail & Timberline

year, depending on weather conditions. And weather is certainly a factor on Longs. The Keyhole route can easily turn treacherous with a few inches of snow or patches of ice. The wind is often so ferocious that it can blow a hiker off the summit, as occurred in 2010. Weather, and the failure to adequately prepare for it, has played a role in at least 15, or about one-third, of Longs Peak fatalities. As might be expected, falls of various types account for 40 of the 62 fatalities, or about 66 percent. What may be surprising is that only 14 of 40 falls, about one-third, occurred on the precipitous East Face. The other falls occurred at various locations scattered around the mountain. The Keyhole route, with 13 total falls, is only slightly less deadly than the East Face. The Homestretch, near the summit, is the next deadliest section with six falls. The Ledges have claimed three falls, the Narrows two, the Trough and East Chimney (offroute) each claimed one. Other causes of death on the mountain include heart attacks (6), hypothermia (4),

lightning (3), exhaustion and exposure (3), falling rock (1), gunshot (1), and one from unknown causes. Perspective For perspective, the whole of Rocky Mountain National Park (est. 1915) has recorded 344 known fatalities within its boundaries, including the 62 associated with Longs Peak. This number includes all manner of cessation such as falls, heart attacks, and car crashes. In 2010, RMNP recorded 3,128,446 visitors. For comparison, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming (est. 1872) lists about 300 “violent” deaths in and around the park from 1839 to 1994. From 1996 to 2010, officials recorded an additional 113 fatalities. Deaths by natural causes, such as heart attacks or other health problems, are not tracked. Also excluded are deaths from motor vehicle accidents, although stage and horse mishaps from the early years are included. Yellowstone National Park historian Lee Whittlesay estimates an additional one to 15 deaths annually on park roads.

While Yellowstone's visitation is about the same as RMNP, it does provide a wider variety of deadly diversions: Bears, bison, and scalding hot springs, in addition to the usual perils, have all taken their toll on the unwary. Death Valley National Park, in California (est. 1933), has recorded 72 deaths since 1999. This number includes all deadly mishaps, from heart attacks to car wrecks to extreme dehydration. Although most would expect desert heat to be the primary killer, Terry Baldino, the park's chief of interpretation, reports that single car rollovers are the most prevalent cause of death in the valley. Death Valley recorded 984,775 visitors in 2010. △ The author would like to thank Alex Depta of the AAC Library, J. Wendel Cox and Bruce Hanson of the Denver Public Library Western History Dept., Kyle Patterson of Rocky Mountain National Park, Lee Whittlesay of Yellowstone National Park, and Terry Baldino of Death Valley N.P. for help in researching this article, and David Hite for technical support.

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Growing up in the Club The Snowmass Outing of 1945 By Nancy Perkins Nones

I grew up with the Colorado Mountain Club. My grandfather, Edwin Perkins, was the fifth president of the Colorado Mountain Club (1924), and my dad, Lewis Perkins, became the ninth president (1930) and stayed on for a second term (1931). He was president when the Juniors were added, and my mother was an editor of Trail & Timberline about the same time. Two of my aunts were also members of the club. They got their picture in the paper for climbing the Crestones. I climbed all of the fourteeners, but the trip that I will never forget is the Snowmass Outing of 1945. Hal Brewer, who had been the sponsor on some of the Juniors trips, was leading the trip. He asked me if I would get food for the 25 climbers he expected. I wasn’t too sure about agreeing, because although I had often organized food for the Juniors, this was a combined Junior/ Senior trip. Hal finally talked me into it, and I got started planning. Figuring food for a climb at that time was rather complicated. The war was still on and things were rationed. People who signed up for the trip had to contribute their coupons for the entire week that we were going to be gone. Many food items were hard to find, and even when one could find them, one was only permitted to buy them in small quantities. Plus, there were no convenience foods, and everything had to be packed in by horseback, nine miles to our main camp. I was working in downtown Denver that summer in my grandfather’s pickle factory (“Particular People Prefer Perkins Pickles”). The Colorado Mountain Club office was within walking distance, and I’d walk over during my lunch hour and see how the trip was shaping up. I planned food for 25. Then, one day, the secretary told me the count was up to 35. I recalculated. Then, the number rose to 50. I refigured. Next, it was 75; the final count was 100. Incidentally, because of the war, gas and tires were rationed, so it was challenging to even get to the mountains in order to climb them. Thus, one of the reasons that many more climbers signed up than an40

Trail & Timberline

ticipated was that going on a CMC outing meant access to the Junior truck and the possibility of carpooling. I spent the whole summer planning and organizing for the trip. For example, each day I bought a box of pudding (one to a customer) that served four. Imagine how many days it took to get enough pudding for 100 hikers! Each day I added a little something to the growing pile of food in my parents’ basement. One day I went to a new store where I found a whole box of 24 Hershey’s bars. I hesitatingly asked the store owner if I might buy the entire box as each customer was usually limited to one bar. I explained why I wanted the box, and he agreed. That was a great find! At another store I was able to charge the food direct-

ly to the CMC’s account. It wasn’t until I looked at the receipt later that I discovered they had charged the food to the Colorado “Mutton” Club. The basement slowly filled up with food. My grandfather allowed us to buy an entire barrel of pickles. One member of the club, Billy Myatt, who worked for the Morey Mercantile, supplied us with a big jar of peanut butter. My friend, Jo Pesman, worked at a War Defense Plant, and, as a war worker, she was entitled to one candy bar a day. She herself couldn’t go on the outing, but she saved her candy bars all summer and presented them to me to take on the trip. I was quite touched. Once we had the food, we rented horses to pack the supplies in the nine miles. We had packers, but I remember leading one of the horses that whole way. I’m amazed that the eggs survived the trip. The outing lasted a week. I had had to plan the menus in order to know what to buy, but we did have a cook along to take

care of the actual cooking. I don’t know how he did it, but he actually made lemon meringue pies one day, the day that I was off climbing Capitol with a small group. We were late getting back, but we still got pie; the cook had set aside an entire pie just for me. He may have liked an occasional nip at his bottle, but he could cook! One of the climbers on that Capitol climb was a doctor. He complained about the scarcity of food on the trip. The only “energy” food we had was Rockwood Chocolate Bits. The doctor later wrote to the Rockwood Company about how grateful we had been for their chocolate. Rockwood turned his letter into a radio commercial advertising their product, but they made it much more dramatic: “Climbers risking life and limb in a howling snowstorm were saved by Rockwood Bits.” We didn’t mind the exaggeration, but what we really liked was that the company then sent us cases of Rockwood Bits. For a while, everyone who went to the CMC office came away with a bag of Bits. Our outing basecamp was at Snowmass Lake. From camp we climbed Snowmass and the two Maroon Peaks; we also climbed Hagerman (a thirteener) and Capitol. On the Capitol climb we had a wonderful leader, Roy Murchison, from Fort Collins. He was more mountain goat than man. When we got to the Capitol knife edge, he put on tennis shoes and bounded across, but most of us sat down and straddled the ridge and hoped we didn’t rip our pants as we inched across. It was while we were on another ridge, the one between the Maroon Bells, that the war ended. We didn’t know it until we got back to camp, but the packers had hiked the nine miles up to bring us the news. On the drive back to Denver, some of the cars took the scenic route. The end of the war meant the end of gas and tire rationing, and the end of our Snowmass Outing. The author is the 24th person on the CMC 's list of those having reported climbing all of the state's fourteeners.

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Trail & Timberline

CMC Adventure Travel For your benefit and enjoyment, the following trips have been reviewed and approved by the Adventure Travel Committee and are officially sanctioned by the Colorado Mountain Club.

Visit www.cmc.org/at for more detailed itineraries and registration forms.

Trekking in Transylvania July 21 – August 1, 2011 $2,277

Thrills, chills, and old-world romance abound in Count Dracula’s homeland. You will trek 60 miles (8-12 miles per day) in the breathtakingly beautiful and rugged Carpathian Mountains, and climb Romania’s highpoint (Moldoveanu Peak at 8,347 feet). Carry only what you need for a day hike on this fully supported trek, which includes excursions to Dracula’s castle, Peles Castle (a Neo-Renaissance Castle built between 18731914), an Orthodox monetary, and Sibiu�the wealthiest citadel of the Transylvanian Saxons. Price includes six nights accommodation in 3-star hotels or guesthouses, two nights in a mountain hut, and two nights in restored Saxon houses in a village. Most meals are included. Includes guided hiking and site-seeing tour guide, ground transfers from/to Bucharest airport and to cities/sites within the program, and admission to the mentioned cultural sites. Price does not include airfare to Bucharest, Romania, but the leader will assist participants with scheduling. For more information, contact Linda at lvditchkus@hotmail.com. No phone calls please.

Wind River Llama Trek August 15 – 19 , 2011 $1324

Hike the remote and rugged Wind River Range of Wyoming. Let the llamas carry the heavy loads and the outfitters do the cooking and dishes. We will meet at Lander Llama Company in Lander. Wyo., then check gear, load llamas and participants in trucks and vans, and drive to our trailhead at Worthen Meadow Reservoir, a southern access point for the Popo Agie Wilderness of the Shoshone National Forest. At 9,000 feet, we will take the Sheep Bridge Trail to the Middle Fork Trail through lodge pole forest and follow the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River for nine miles gaining slight elevation traversing high alpine parks and riparian watersheds. Our first night will be spent in Bill's Park. Day two we will hike and gain elevation taking a route just below Wind River Peak. We will camp in this location for two nights at 10,300 feet. The

Trail & Timberline

layover day, weather permitting, could allow some participants to ascend Wind River Peak. There will be other hikes available to some very spectacular classic glacial cirque-carved mountains. This country has many lakes with very good fishing. On day four we will hike to Pinto Park, an open high alpine park, with a panoramic view of the Cirque of the Towers. On day five we will hike 11 miles and return on the Pinto Park trail looping to the Middle Fork Trail and Sheep Bridge Trail at Worthen Meadow Reservoir. All hikes will be at the B level. Included will be tents, sleeping bags, bag liners, ThermaRest pads, meals, llamas, guide and wrangler services, including meals on the trail. Hike with just your daypack. Price does not include round trip travel to Lander, two nights motel stay, two evening meals, or wrangler tips. Contact Bob Seyse at 303-718-2005 or bobseyse@gmail.com.

Exploring Russia's Kamchatka: Land of Fire and Ice August 18 – September 3, 2011 $1,900 - $2,900

Kamchatka is a stunning mountain paradise and one of the most isolated regions in the world. The Kamchatka Peninsula is a 1,250-kilometer long peninsula in the far east of Russia. There are more than 160 volcanoes on the peninsula, 29 of which are active. The main attractions of Kamchatka are volcanic calderas, geysers, and mineral springs, all in pristine condition. Supported by 4/6WD bus, this tour passes through the most active volcanic zone of the peninsula and along a high mountain plateau, surrounded by nine of Kamchatka’s highest volcanoes. We will climb three volcanoes, all of which are still active. There will be plenty of wildlife to see, including the legendary Kamchatka Brown Bear. We will have opportunities to meet and learn about the local and indigenous peoples of Kamchatka. The trip cost includes all Kamchatka lodging and meals (except extra beverages), ground transportation, guide fees, and CMC fee. Not included in the price: Round trip airfare to Petropavlovsk, Russian visa, beverages, rented equipment, tips, and personal spending money. Travel insurance is not included but highly recommended. Hiking level: Participants should be capable of Difficult B/Easy C hikes. For a trip packet, contact the leader at miller866@comcast.net.

Hiking Mountain and Desert: Great Basin National Park August 20 – 27, 2011 $356

Great Basin National Park is an isolated alpine oasis - 12,000 and 13,000 foot peaks surrounded by desert. You'll find it in eastern Nevada, located not far off of Highway 50, “America’s Loneliest Highway.” Taking a day and a half to drive there, we’ll motel camp on the way there and back. Once arrived, we will car camp. The highest peak we will climb is Mt. Wheeler at 13,063 feet, the highpoint of the Great Basin. We will day hike to explore numerous other alpine lakes, valleys, and to bag other peaks. Mid-week we will attempt Notch Peak in western Utah, at 9,654 feet it is the highest peak for miles with views of Mt. Wheeler, Bonneville Salt Flats, and a big sky. It is notable for having one of the largest sheer cliffs in the country at almost 2,000 feet! Due to the great distance from any city, the star gazing is exceptional. We will be there with a waning moon, so bring your star guide and telescope! Temperatures should be comfortable; the average high and low for August is 85 and 56 degrees respectively. For more information, contact Stan Moore at 303929-7802 or email stan338@comcast.net.

Mongolia: Trek, Culture, Eagle Festival September 5 – 22, 2011 $2700

Trekking with Mongolian Kazak herdsmen with their camels or horses carrying our camp gear, lush green valleys, hiking over Jolt Pass at 10,300 ft. in the Western Altai Mountains in one of the most remote parts of the world. Magnificent views of the snow capped Altais, staying in gers and tents, visiting with nomads who have trained Golden Eagles to use for hunting. Petroglyphs, deer stones, balbals (stone carved men), being at the crossroads of emerging cultures of ancient times. Two days at an Eagle Festival with various competitions involving the eagles, horse racing, and locals wearing very colorful native dresses. Time to visit museums in Hovd and Ulaanbaatar.

These are just some of the experiences we will have on our 17 day trip. At Chigertei Lake we will stay for two nights, hiking in the area and meeting the nomads with their grazing animals. The trek will be six days (approximately 7 to 12 miles a day), going over Jolt Pass. From our arrival in Ulaanbaatar until we fly out of the country, there will be an English speaking guide with us. A visa is not needed for U.S. citizens. Included in the price is four nights’ hotel in Ulaanbaatar, internal flight to Western Mongolia and return, all meals outside of Ulaanbaatar, English speaking guide, fees for National Park and Eagle Festival, four-wheel drive vehicles, nomads with their camels or horses carrying the camp gear, cook, all camp equipment, welcome and farewell dinner, breakfasts in Ulaanbaatar. Not included in price is round trip flight to Ulaanbaatar, two lunches, one dinner, tips, single supplement of $30 per night, bottled water, drinks, and personal items. For more information, contact Bea Slingsby at 303-422-3728 or beahive@comcast.net.

through ancient exotic Sikkim. Once its own Kingdom, tiny Sikkim is now a state of India. Sikkim is home to the third highest mountain in the world, Kanchenjunga (8586m / 28,169ft), one of the largest mountains in sheer size in the Himalaya. From Delhi we will take a domestic flight to Bagdogra, and then on to the legendary city of Darjeeling, home of His Holiness the Dali Lama, and the Tibetan government in exile. One day by jeep will bring us to the beginning of our two-week trek. We will travel through the Kanchenjunga Biosphere Reserve; walk in rhododendron forests, camp in small villages, visit Buddhist monasteries and shrines, traverse high alpine passes, and experience breathtaking Himalayan vistas. We will camp beside the sacred lake of Lam Pokhari and cross the high pass of Goecha La, 16,207 feet, the highest point on our route. For more information please contact Gyeljen Sherpa at alpineadventureI@gmail.com or call 720-273-7158.

Yellowstone in Winter Trekking in Nepal October 1 – 18, 2011 $2806

Join Pemba Sherpa, a native of the Khumbu region of the Nepal Himalayas, on this spectacular trek through the foothills of some of the world’s highest peaks. Pemba has been guiding visitors to his homeland since 1986, taking us into the heart of the world’s majestic Himalayan Mountains around Annapurna. The classic Around Annapurna trek offers a complete panorama of culture and ecosystems, including high mountain passes, the deepest valley in the world, the desert of the Tibetan plateau, pine forests, rice paddies, monasteries and people as diverse as Tibetan lamas and Hindu farmers. We commence trekking near Ngadi, ascend the ridges over the Marsyandi valley. We follow the Marsyandi valley north beneath the mountain of Manasulu, Lamjung Himal, and the Annapurnas before entering the drier reaches of the Manang valley, not far from the Tibetan border. Here we acclimatize before crossing Throng La (17,769ft.), the highest and the hardest part of this trek. We descend to Muktinath, one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites in Nepal, then farther down to the Kali Gandai Gorge, the deepest valley in the world, we descend Kali Gandaki to Jomson and fly back to Pokhara. For more information, please contact Pemba Sherpa at (303) 525-6508 or pemba@sherpaascent.com.

Feb. 1 – 6, 2012 $1.075 – $1,200 Steaming geysers, bison, elk, and other wildlife are all part of the experience of Yellowstone National Park in winter. Skiers, snowshoers, and photographers will enjoy the convenient trails leading directly from the lodge to geysers and waterfalls. The trip includes round-trip bus and snow coach transportation between Denver and Yellowstone, a one-night stay in Jackson, three full days and four nights at Old Faithful, snow coach drop-off fees, happy hours, and several meals (four breakfasts, one lunch, and three buffet dinners), and all entrance fees and gratuities. We depart Denver by bus on Wednesday morning, February 1, stay overnight in a motel in Jackson, arriving in Yellowstone on Thursday afternoon. We leave Yellowstone and return to Denver late on Monday, February 6, 2012. Prices are per person, based on double occupancy. Most rooms have two double beds (we have five king sized beds) and private bath. The trip cost for the newer Snow Lodge hotel rooms is $1220, the “Western” cabin is $1195, and the rustic “Frontier” cabin is $1075. Trip cost does not include remaining meals (one breakfast, five lunches, and two dinners), optional sightseeing excursions within the park, equipment rental, or trip insurance. There is a 3% guest fee for non-CMC members. Register with the leader, Rick and Deana Pratt, by calling 303-887-3717 or e-mailing rpratt905@gmail.com.

Sikkim Himalayan Trek

Culture and Cycling in Vietnam

October 15 – November 5, 2011 $3,220

Option A: Feb. 6 – 21, 2012 $3,295 – $3,755

Gyeljen Sherpa invites you to join him on a trek

Option B: Feb. 6 – 17, 2012

$2,409 – $2,875 Experience the culture of Vietnam while bicycling through some of the most beautiful scenery to be found, often on quiet country roads. We’ll often be sharing those roads with scooters, school children on bikes, bullocks, chickens, and other traffic. When not biking, we’ll stay at mostly three- and four-star French colonial hotels and beach-front resorts. We’ll visit a number of cultural sights and enjoy a number of activities such as kayaking, swimming, and short hikes. Our tour starts in Hanoi, where we will be met by our tour guide and visit a water puppet show. We’ll travel to Halong Bay World Heritage Site where we will stay on a Chinese-style junk. From there we fly to the imperial city of Hue where our biking adventure begins. We’ll bike in segments with a two-day stay at historic Hoi An, another World Heritage Site, before biking on to Nha Trang. From there we’ll fly to Ho Chi Minh City, where Option B participants will depart for home. Option A participants continue on to the second phase of the trip— four days of biking in the beautiful Mekong Delta. Trip costs include airport pickup/drop-off, accommodations, most meals, snacks and water, maps, guides with good English, transport in air-conditioned minibuses, water puppet show, two internal flights, Halong Bay cruise, island cruise, cycling jersey or T-shirt, taxes, and tips. Not included are airfare from the U.S. to Vietnam, entry visa, alcoholic beverages, laundry, a few meals, bike rental, or single supplement. For more information, contact Kris Ashton at (720) 733-6750 or kris@aimhigh.net.

Semana Santa in the Sierra Madres, Mexico April 2 – 12, 2012 $2,700 On this 11-day, burro-assisted day hiking adventure we will explore the canyons of the Sierra Madre Mountains and the Copper Canyon area. We’ll start in Los Mochis, Mexico, and be transported to the historical town of El Fuerte, founded in 1564. Then we’ll board the Chihuahua al Pacifico train for an excursion through the mountains and canyons of the Sierra Madre, arriving at the rim of the Copper Canyon. We’ll load the burros and head west towards Otero Canyon, one of the main river canyons in the Sierra Madre. We’ll hike past Tarahumara ranchos to a small village surrounded by thousand-foottall cliffs and corn fields, with the little church on the promontory. Here we’ll be greeted by the locals and be treated to the local Semana Santa (Easter week) festivities. Leaving the village we will hike by cliff dwelling ruins and pictographs. Then it’s on to Basaseachic Falls, the third highest waterfall in Mexico, where we will hike to view the falls and then stay at beautiful solar-

Trail & Timberline

powered cabanas. We’ll be transported to Creel, the lumber and tourist town at the gate of the Copper Canyon area and ride the train back to El Fuerte. The last day we will explore El Fuerte, then continue on to the airport at Los Mochis. Cost includes land transportation from Los Mochis, lodging (camping four nights, hotels six nights), meals (except one breakfast, two lunches). Not included in costs are airfare to Los Mochis (approx $750 round-trip), three meals, tips, travel insurance, and personal spending money. Cost may decrease depending on number of participants. Contact Janet Farrar wildjc@juno.com or 303-933-3066.

Best of the Grand Canyon: Colorado River Raft & Hike April 28 – May 10, 2012 $4,165 (Limit 18)

Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, this unique trip to the Grand Canyon offers participants the opportunity to experience this World Heritage Site on a motorized raft for 188 miles through the best of the canyon, departing from the historic Lee’s Ferry and ending with a helicopter ride from Whitmore Wash and a plane flight back to the start. It is especially ideal for those who would like to hike in areas which can be reached only from the river, and those who have always wanted to experience the canyon but who do not wish to make the 7 mile, 4,500’ backpack in and out. Our outfitter, Hatch River Expeditions, has been guiding river trips through the canyon for over 70 years. We will have four guides and 20 participants on two 35-foot S-rig boats running fuel-efficient and quiet 4-stroke outboard engines. Hatch offers us daily guided hikes at different hiking levels, or one

may choose to rest in camp. There are several opportunities for point-topoint hikes where we may hike from one drainage to the next and the raft will pick us up later in the day. Register with leaders Blake Clark or Rosemary Burbank at (303) 871-0379 or blakerosemary@cs.com.

Hiking the Alps of Bavaria and Austria August 27-September 7, 2012 $2,700-3,300

The German and Austrian Alps are a scenic region of pristine lakes and creeks, high mountains, green pastures, and thundering river gorges. The hilly countryside that’s dotted by quaint villages is home to some of the most famous castles in Bavaria where we will start our trip. On the AustroBavarian border we will visit Germany’s highest peak, Zugspitze. In Austria, we will start by exploring the glacier-carved valley of Stubaital, close to Innsbruck. From there we will continue to learn more about the Tyrollean country, while hiking and climbing in the Zillertal area. Finally, we will walk on paths of a thousand-year-old history in Salzkammergut. This area, with spectacular lakes close to the town of Salzburg, had in the past famous mines of "white gold." The historical salt trail started from here. The town of Hallstatt is a World Heritage destination. During the trip, we will stay in comfortable, often family-owned hotels and explore some of the more breathtaking parts of the world. Cost includes lodging in hotels and pensions, transportation during the trip, breakfast and most of the dinners, and leader’s expenses. The price does not include airfare or travel insurance. The final cost may vary depending on currency exchange. Hikes up to B and C level. Maximum number of participants is 14. For more information contact the leader, Renata Collard, at (303) 617-4773 or Renata.Collard@ucdenver.edu

End of the Trail You Will Be Missed Bob Hubbard ▶ 1923 - 2011

Bob Hubbard knew all about the outdoors, having grown up on a homestead in Wyoming. After a time in the army, he came to Denver where he worked for Amoco for many years and married Kathleen Kelty. He loved the outdoors and joining the CMC gave him a chance to find new places to hike and meet others who shared his passion. For many years he led hiking, skiing, bicycling, and backpacking trips for the club. He made sure that everyone on the trip had a good time and had a safe trip. Bob had a good sense of humor. He wore his cap that said, “I'm their leader, which way did they go?” But whether he was leading a trip or on one with friends he always knew exactly where he was and made everyone confident of their abilities. He was an incredible mechanic and when a bicycle chain came off or a ski gave out during a tour he always had the right tools and the knowledge to fix almost anything that 44

Trail & Timberline

By Betsy Weitkamp

broke. Many times he saved what could have been a disastrous trip. Besides climbing many of the fourteeners and hiking all over the state, he also hiked and bicycled in other states as well as in Germany, Ireland, and Switzerland. He and his wife spent several years helping to build the Colorado Trail, leading some of the trips. When other leaders needed help, they could always depend on Bob and Kathleen to be the first ones to volunteer. One of Bob's favorite activities was woodworking, making furniture for his home and designing crafts. He was extremely generous and most of his friends have been the recipients of one or more of his self-designed crafts. And, of course, he shared the produce from his garden which every year was a big and very healthy garden. Bob will be missed by his family, his many friends, and especially by his wife of 40 years.

WINTER 2010 ORDER FORM order form S E N D O R D E R F O R M A N D PAY M E N T T O :

Colorado Mountain Club Press, 710 10th Street, Suite 200, Golden, CO 80401 1-800-633-4417, ext. 103

FAX 303-279-9690

or order online at cmc.org BILL TO:____________________________________________________

SHIP TO: ___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

PHONE ____________________________ E-MAIL __________________________________________________________________________________

SHIPPING AND HANDLING

CMC MEMBERS: Please fill in your name, address, phone and email, Visa or MasterCard number and expiration date. Total your order, compute the tax at 7.6%, and add shipping and handling. Checks made out to The Colorado Mountain Club for the total are fine, too.

$ 1 – $19.99. . . . . . . . . . . $5.00 $20 – $49.99. . . . . . . . . . . $7.00 $50 – $75.99. . . . . . . . . . . $9.00 $76 – $99.99. . . . . . . . . . $11.00 $100+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12.00

DISCOUNTED BOOK PRICING FOR MEMBERS OF THE COLORADO MOUNTAIN CLUB ___ Best Boulder Hikes, ISBN 978-0-9799663-4-7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10.36 ___ Best Colorado Springs Hikes, ISBN 978-0-9799663-6-1 . . . . . . . . . $10.36 ___ Best Denver Hikes, ISBN 978-0-9799663-5-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12.76 ___ Best Fort Collins Hikes, ISBN 978-0-9799663-0-9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11.96 ___ Best Front Range Hikes, ISBN 978-0-9799663-9-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19.96 ___ Colorado 14ers Pack Guide, ISBN 978-0-9760525-3-1 . . . . . . . . . . . $9.56 ___ Colorado 14ers Standard Routes, ISBN 978-0-9799663-8-5 . . . . . $17.56 ___ Colorado Lake Hikes, ISBN 978-0-9799663-1-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19.96 ___ Colorado’s Quiet Winter Trails, ISBN 978-0-9760525-1-7. . . . . . . . . $17.56 ___ Colorado Scrambles, 2e, ISBN 978-0-9799663-3-0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $18.36 ___ Colorado Snow Climbs, ISBN 978-0-9760525-9-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $18.36 ___ Colorado Summit Hikes, ISBN 0-9724413-3-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15.16 ___ Colorado Trail, ISBN 978-0-9760525-2-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19.96 ___ Colorado Trail Databook, 4e, ISBN 978-0-9799663-7-8 . . . . . . . . . . $7.96 ___ Colorado Wildflowers, ISBN 978-0-9842213-0-1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $18.36 ___ Colorado Year Round, ISBN 0-9724413-2-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15.16

□ VISA OR □ MASTERCARD

___ Comanche Peak Wilderness Area, ISBN 978-0-9842213-1-8 . . . . . $10.36 ___ Essential Guide to Black Canyon, ISBN 0-9724413-4-4 . . . . . . . . . $15.96 ___ Essential Guide to Sand Dunes, ISBN 0-9724413-1-X. . . . . . . . . . . $15.96 ___ Flatiron Classics, ISBN 978-0-9799663-2-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15.16 ___ Guide to the Colorado Mountains, ISBN 0-9671466-0-7 . . . . . . . . $15.16 ___ Hiking Colorado’s Roadless Trails, ISBN 978-0-9760525-7-9 . . . . . . $10.36 ___ Morpha: A Rain Forest Story, 0-9671466-8-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11.96 ___ Peaceful Canyon, Golden River, ISBN 0-9671466-5-8 . . . . . . . . . . . $11.96 ___ Playing for Real, ISBN 978-0-9760525-6-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.56 ___ Rocks Above the Clouds, ISBN 978-0-9760525-8-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . $11.96 ___ Rocky Mountain Flora, ISBN 978-0-9760525-4-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $18.36 ___ Roof of the Rockies, ISBN 0-9671466-1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13.56 ___ Run the Rockies, ISBN 0-9724413-5-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.36 ___ San Juan Mountaineers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $185.00 ___ Stettner Way, ISBN 0-9724413-0-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11.96 ___ Trad Guide to Joshua Tree, ISBN 0-9724413-9-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17.56

EXPIRATION DATE: ____________

PRETAX TOTAL $__________________

CARD NUMBER__________________________________________________________________

ADD 7.6% TAX $__________________

SIGNATURE _____________________________________________________________________

SHIPPING & HANDLING $__________________

DATE ORDERED __________________

TOTAL $__________________

Trail & Timberline

Your donation will help us to protect Colorado's wild places, connect young people to the outdoors, and preserve access to your favorite mountains.

Colorado's MOUNTAINS have given us

SO MUCH

WHAT WILL YOU GIVE BACK? www.cmc.org/support 46

Trail & Timberline